


Second Chances

by Inevitinfini



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Autistic Character, Bullying, Enthusiastic Consent, Established Relationship, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Forgiveness, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Internalized Homophobia, Intersex Character, Intersex Sal Fisher, Marijuana, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Queer Themes, Recreational Drug Use, Redemption, Religious Cults, Religious Guilt, Safe Sane and Consensual, Sal Fisher and Larry Johnson Are Not Related, Support Systems, abuse recovery, autistic sal fisher
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:27:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23390929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inevitinfini/pseuds/Inevitinfini
Summary: (AU where Henry and Lisa never got married and Sal and Larry have been dating for a couple years already, Sal is also dating Ashley.)(Only tagged w major character death for references to Diane and others who are established as dead, rest easy I'm not going to rip your heart out and kill the leads or their friends.)After being reconnected with Travis several years after school, Sal and Larry's lives begin to turn upside down as they realize how much he's been through and how much he's changed. Travis has apparently left his family suddenly, and despite his guilt, he admitted to having only ever treated Sal so terribly because of his internalized homophobia against himself. This was because he'd had a crush on Sal of course, which Sal had actually hypothesized years before and wasn't really surprised to hear. He'd always known something terrible was happening to Travis, but he would soon learn just how bad it was.The cult had mysteriously disappeared months before, and the gang had just begun enjoying the peace, but they felt uneasy not knowing where the cult activity went. What happened? Are they planning something?
Relationships: Ashley Campbell/Sal Fisher, Larry Johnson/Travis Phelps, Sal Fisher/Larry Johnson, Sal Fisher/Travis Phelps
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Song for this Chapter: I Was Just a Kid by Nothing But Thieves 
> 
> https://youtu.be/0feoIWIozyY
> 
> "I was in a dream,  
> I was in heaven,  
> I saw a god,  
> I had a question.
> 
> Opened my eyes,  
> fell out the sky,  
> tried to remember,  
> but there was nothing.
> 
> Then you gave me something,  
> something to believe in.
> 
> Yeah you gave me something,  
> something to believe in,
> 
> Cause I was just a kid."

"Hey c'mon Larry don't be such a grump, he's nice I'm serious, I mean you met him again at the reunion. He's changed a ton, you'll see, we've been talking for weeks since. It's just a hang out. Just be nice for me if not for Travis, okay? I want to try to help him since he's taking steps to recover." Sal urged softly, frowning slightly at Larry despite it being hidden behind his prosthetic, Larry had just been vaguely complaining about Sal's incoming visitor who hadn't arrived yet. "Yeah, yeah...I saw the change too. I just don't trust easily and he broke my trust a long time ago. It's gonna take me a while. I'll play nice and see if he's really gotten better, but I'm gonna have to see it in more than a single apology." 

Sal made a thoughtful expression behind his prosthetic, "Hrm. Okay, that's fair. Thanks for compromising on it. I just want to give him some company who aren't judgemental because he did just come out and leave his family behind and all. He's going through a lot, and I was right in my hunch that he was being mistreated at home. So he deserves a chance to make up for what he did when he was an angry abused child. He knows it was wrong and hasn't made excuses so far, so I feel like he really woke up, y'know?" Larry nodded, giving a small smile. "You're such a nice person, Sal. Always seeing the good in people when you can and reminding me that everyone has problems... I'll give him a chance. Promise. No shady shit." He held out a pinky with a goofy grin, winking as Sal accepted the childish but sweet promise and replied with a chuckle. "You have such a temper when it comes to being crossed, I know how you hold grudges. I get why, but I just don't operate the same way I guess. I prefer to handle things with my brain, not my fists. Unless absolutely necessary."

They both paused as the doorbell rang out and Sal got up to let Travis in, walking a bit more excitedly than Larry would expect. "Come on in and make yourself at home. This is a judgement free zone." He said, both as reassurance to Trav and to remind Larry to be nice. Sal flopped down onto the couch, patting the spot next to him so that he would be sitting between Larry and Travis, who were glancing tensely and anxiously back and forth. "Now, how about we all catch up some more, we didn't talk much as a group at the reunion. I'm sure we have things we need to discuss for closure to relieve this obvious tension. Larry, you oughta start if you don't mind since Travis has talked to me plenty since." 

Larry glanced nervously at Sal as if to say 'Are you serious, dude?' he cleared his throat, hesitating. "Okay, uh. I know I like, wanted to kick your ass for years and made it known, but I trust Sal's judgement more than mine, so I'm putting aside my mistrust. All I ask is that I don't have to regret it, because Sal means a lot to me and you hurt him before. He's forgiven you though, so it's only fair that I try. You don't have to be afraid of me unless you hurt Sal or anyone I care about, which I don't expect you to do." Travis swallowed anxiously, nodding. "I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I just want to move on from that pent up rage and have my own life, and be honest to myself about who I am. Finally."

Larry seemed satisfied enough with this response, and they proceeded to spend a civil and enjoyable six hours watching classic horror movies that Travis had been denied his whole life, but always wanted to see. Travis had a great time, discovered a love for a new genre of film, and had several good bonding moments with Sal, cracking jokes while commenting on the plot holes and acting as they came up. Larry was happy to see it despite his concerns, hoping that it would stay this nice between them all like Sal obviously wanted.

After saying goodbye and closing the door behind Travis as he went, Sal turned to Larry with a proud stance. "Good job, thank you. I think he enjoyed himself and felt a little less alone, and that's just what I wanted to see." He walked back, sitting down close to Larry and slumping into his shoulder sleepily. "I love you man." Larry smiled, draping an arm over Sal's shoulders. "Love you too, Sal." 

The pair had been in a relationship for some time, which had started out as an unlabeled flirtationship, then progressed to a casual best friends with benefits situation, which immediately spiralled into them becoming official boyfriends. Larry had figured out that he was just, entirely gay. Meanwhile Sal was some configuration of bisexual, but he didn't really call himself anything concrete all the time. Sometimes he'd say he's gay, but he equally leans the other way as well. Sal would describe it as being romantically and sexually attracted to men, while only romantically and aesthetically attracted to women. Sal had gone on record saying he would have sex with a girl if he liked her, but he didn't actively find himself attracted to women that way, even if he likes them romantically. He learned this through Ash, who was Sal's girlfriend as of a few months prior. Larry and Ash had both agreed that they were comfortable with sharing Sal. Ash was bi herself, but a self described grey-sexual, which ended up making her relationship with Sal just work naturally because all they ever wanted was each other's company. While he thought about this, Sal was reminded of a recent conversation with Travis, and his own promise. 

Travis had hesitantly admitted that his crush on Sal really never went away, and only got stronger the more they talked, but he also affirmed repeatedly that he respected Sal's relationships too much to put any pressure on him about it. Regardless, Sal had been taken a bit aback by this, and upon realizing that he felt happy about it, he said he would ask Larry soon. "Larry? I have something uh, relevant, to bring up." He prompted awkwardly, looking over at Larry timidly.

Larry turned to look down at him, raising an eyebrow. "Alright. Go ahead." Sal immediately became visibly anxious, hands held tight in his lap. "Well, I wanted to wait until after today to say it, because I wanted to see how you two do hanging out beforehand...but Travis told me recently that he honestly never stopped having a pull toward me, and long story short…do you think we have room for one more to share me with?" Sal looked at him with a look that seemed caught between severe nervousness and hopefulness. 

"Oh, damn-" Larry hadn't been prepared for that at all, "I…" he paused, seeming to process and choose his words carefully. "I don't think I have the right to tell you what you can do. Even if it makes me a bit worried because of his history, I won't tell you that you can't, especially when I already share you with Ash. I can't tell you to limit your heart if you don't want to." He offered a tiny reassuring smile, still not entirely sold on Travis but willing to see where things went. He may be worried, but he wouldn't interfere. 

Sal immediately seemed relieved, tension melting out of his stance instantly. "Fuck, thank you. I was so unsure of how to bring it up and afraid it would seem rushed and that you'd panic-" he sighed. "I appreciate you being so open and trusting. If any funny business goes on, I'm backing up. Don't worry. I just really think he's changed...I've talked to him a lot since." 

"I trust you, Sal. If you think this is good and you feel like giving him a chance, I support that." He took Sal's hand, giving a small squeeze. Sal smiled behind his prosthetic, eyes crinkling visibly. "He's going to be shocked. He was completely prepared to be let down easy, y'know? He didn't want to get between anyone." Larry frowned, brow furrowing. "That shows some maturity, I can appreciate that." He found it a bit sad to think about, that Travis was so ready to be rejected. He was surprisingly developing sympathy for Travis pretty fast, but all the better if he was going to adjust to this change.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travis spills his guts and for the first time, he cries in front of someone openly. Sal does his best to support Travis as he processes his emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for the Chapter: Hide by Rainbow Kitten Surprise 
> 
> https://youtu.be/aetcUc3ejPE
> 
> "I've got a radio heart and you're the only thing that's coming in  
> Static from my better sense  
> Stagnant on my betterment  
> I'm praying for signal or a sign that you haven't sent  
> Running from a place where they don't make people like me  
> I keep the car running  
> I keep my bags packed  
> I don't wanna leave, just don't wanna leave last  
> I've been praying for your touch, your glance, your hand  
> And he's a better kisser than you'd think, mom  
> He's a better listener than most  
> We took pretty pictures by the sea, mom  
> Fell in love and sailed off  
> And when the son of man had me in his clutches  
> The son of man had me in his clutches  
> The son of man had me in his clutches  
> The sons of men pulled me to the touch and I loved it."
> 
> "You better hide your love."

Sal knocked on the door of Travis's new efficiency apartment, which he'd apparently just moved into recently after spending a few weeks in a hotel. The building overall looked ancient and not the most inviting, which Sal took note of sadly. He perked up as the door opened to reveal a very nervous Travis, who stepped back to let him in. "This place sucks, fair warning. Sorry about that-" Sal shook his head as he walked in, taking a seat on one of the built in bar stools in the small kitchen space. "Don't sweat it. You just ran away from everything you know. I'm not gonna judge you for staying somewhere that isn't exactly ideal. It's a date if we're in each other's company and say it's a date. So here we are." 

Travis smiled a bit timidly, glancing down nervously despite himself. "It's good to hear. I was a little worried about it." He took a seat on the second seat next to Sal, the only furniture in the room aside from a mattress and some plastic storage containers and drawers. "I'm still processing that this is happening, if I'm honest." He said quietly, lightly gnawing his cheek in thought and looking the other way. "I don't really feel like I deserve the forgiveness you're giving me so compassionately at all, but you're giving me the ability to try again. I never really expected you to reciprocate at all. I only even told you to get closure, and yet…" he trailed off, looking up to meet Sal's eyes before glancing away again as he realized Sal had been looking dead at him the whole time. 

"And...yet?" Sal prompted, leaning a bit closer out of curiosity. "And yet, I got lucky enough that you see something in me that I don't...Thank you." Travis replied softly, looking back at Sal again and fidgeting as he realized how close their faces were. Sal's heart flipped at his words, and he felt a pang of empathy in his stomach at the humbled tone Travis had in the moment. He reached out to take Travis's hand gently, squeezing lightly as he leaned up even closer. He paused just shy of Travis's lips, "I...can I?" 

Travis seemed utterly stunned by this, blinking rapidly as he turned an impressive shade of red. "Y-yeah…" He nodded with a nervous gulp, reminding himself that it's not like Sal was a stranger. He'd wanted this forever, so why did he feel terrified? Despite his fear, as Sal slowly lifted the prosthetic from his lips, still covering himself from the nose up, Travis fixated on his lips. He wasn't unnerved by the scar tissue beneath, but he was surprised by the sheer gravity of the damage he could see, not realizing how much Sal had been through himself. Sal closed the space between their lips and Travis felt something in his chest burst into a warm and glowing feeling before Sal withdrew. For the first time, he could see Sal's lips curled into a sweet smile, and his heart ached. 

"See? Not so bad, hm?" Sal said with a playful tone, laughing softly as he leaned away to give Travis space after that leap of development. Trav couldn't stop smiling as Sal went to replace his prosthetic. Just as he reached to latch the lower straps again, Travis spoke up. "Hey, just so you know, you don't have to wear that unless you want to. I know I was awful before, but I won't treat you like anything less because of scars. You don't have to do anything you don't want, but whenever you're comfortable I can handle seeing you." Sal paused, his fingers lingering on the straps before he dropped them, reaching up to instead undo the remaining two straps. He held the prosthetic in place for a moment, hesitating as his hands shook slightly. No matter how many times he did this it never got easier. "It's...really bad, Travis. Just, brace yourself." His heart was racing as he lowered his hands and he saw the look on Travis's face as he took in Sal's face, looking on the verge of tears. "So there you are…" he smiled, unable to take his eyes off of Sal. He had major facial damage that went deeper than the skin, leaving Sal with a slightly sunken eye socket on one side which contained Sal's glass eye, as well as having an asymmetrical jawline and cheek structure. His nose had been partially reconstructed, but was obviously smaller and flatter than it had once been, with a small crooked bridge and an upturned angle, giving him an almost skeletal look. Travis knew exactly what had happened to Sal, but he couldn't possibly say how he knew. Then he'd have to explain his knowledge of the Devourers of God, and he didn't even know where to start. He felt his eyes well up and he choked up a bit knowing who had done this to Sal. 

"Thank you. For showing me." Travis wiped at his eyes, trying not to break down thinking of the pain Sal must have endured. It was so much worse than he thought. Sal also felt his eyes sting with tears and he sniffed, smiling warmly. "Thank you for not flinching." Travis's heart dropped at Sal's words, remembering that he had contributed to Sal's pain himself once. "I'm so sorry, Sal-" his voice cracked, "I'm sorry for adding to your suffering and feelings of rejection."

Sal hugged Travis quite suddenly, and Travis sat stunned for a moment before his arms relaxed and he returned the reassuring embrace. "I've already forgiven you, Travis. It's okay." With that, Travis broke down, clinging to Sal's shirt and crying silently over his shoulder, shaking with silent sobs for several minutes. Sal knew Travis needed this affirmation, and he held tight, letting Travis cry openly for the first time in front of anyone. He felt a deep empathy for the guilt Travis carries, and he would try to be the support Trav obviously needs. "You don't have to face it all at once. Pace yourself, you've been through a lot. Instead of focusing on your guilt, focus on what motivates you to be better than you were before. That's how I got through my shit, anyway. I'm not a therapist." 

Travis nodded into Sal's shoulder, resting his chin on him lightly as his tears finally began to dry up. "I'm grateful for this opportunity to make things right. You're an incredibly kind and forgiving person, Sal." He smiled weakly as Sal rubbed his back, giving him a tiny squeeze before leaning back to look at him. "Everyone deserves the chance to get better, especially if they messed up as a kid. You came from something awful, it's not an excuse, but it also means that the anger didn't start with you. It started with him, and fell on your shoulders. You carried it around so long because it was all he gave you." 

Sal's wisdom struck Travis hard, and he nearly began crying again. "You understand what I've lived through so well...in ways even I don't understand myself. You're so much smarter than I ever gave you credit for." Sal smiled at him again, nodding sadly. "Traumatized people understand other traumatized people more than anyone. Our trauma is different, but I'm here to help you break your chain of abuse." He surprised Travis yet again by kissing his forehead, brushing his hair out of his puffy and tired eyes. Travis smiled the brightest Sal had seen yet despite obviously having just cried, glancing away with a nervous laugh. He hesitated before giving Sal a quick peck to the lips, looking adorably flustered by even this. "You're probably the nicest person I've ever met-" Sal couldn't fight his endeared laughter at the look on Travis's face, shaking his head lightly. He couldn't wait to see where this would lead.

They spent the evening talking about anything and everything that came to mind, and as Travis got to see Sal emote and express himself, he felt honored. So much had happened to him recently, he'd been humbled by life, and by a chance for love. With every shared laugh, he felt himself slipping further into the warmth of Sal's presence, watching him speak with a softened expression.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Larry has a laid-back discussion with Neil about this whole Travis thing, and Sal returns home from his first date with Trav.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for this Chapter: Gay is Not a Synonym for Shitty by Fall Out Boy
> 
> https://youtu.be/0XBIQbWdz_A
> 
> "I've loved everything about you that hurts, so  
> Let me see your moves  
> Let me see your moves  
> Lips pressed this close to mine  
> True Blue  
> But the prince of any failing empire knows that  
> Everybody wants, everybody wants  
> To drive on through the night  
> If it's a drive back home  
> Things aren't the same anymore  
> Some nights, they get so bad  
> You almost pick up the phone  
> Trade baby blues for wide eyed browns  
> I sleep with your old shirts  
> And walk through this house in your shoes  
> You know it's strange  
> It's a strange way of saying  
> That I know I'm supposed to love you  
> I'm supposed to love you"

Larry had been very dubious about Travis's initial apology up until the night Sal brought him over, and now Larry didn't know what he was thinking about the guy. He wanted to be on the same page as Sal, but until that night he'd been honestly kind of frustrated anytime Travis was brought up. Now, he questioned himself and whether his overly protective mistrust of Trav was justified considering he punched Sal one time literally years ago, in response to Sal verbally crossing the line and unintentionally stepping on Trav's trauma. It had seemed funny and deserved then, but Travis was being beaten by his father without them fully understanding how bad Travis's life was at home, and they just threw salt in his wounds. Was it worse to trigger an abuse survivor's defense response or to lash out and call your crush a slur because you won't admit you're gay and have to take out your self hatred? Can they even be compared objectively? He sighed, looking around the empty living room. Sal was at Travis's place right now for their first date, and Larry found himself waiting up a bit worriedly though he shouldn't be. No matter what he'd seen from Travis recently he still felt these irrational impulses which told him this was all some elaborate trick to fuck with Sal's life. 

Todd was in his room working on something based on the sounds of clicking, buzzing, and various power tools, so Larry would leave him be. He always gets intense when he's working. As Larry had this thought, as if on queue, Neil returned home from his job, coming in looking exhausted as he took a seat on the couch. He slumped, dropping his bag carelessly as he let out a dramatic sigh before looking at Larry. "Well I had one hell of a shift, but at least I'm not pulling yours-"

Larry blinked, quirking his head to the side in confusion. "What?" Neil laughed, shaking his head at the dense stoner. "Dude it's very obvious you're waiting up for Sal to get back from that date when you don't even have the radio or TV on. You shouldn't worry so much, he's very capable, you know that. It's bad for you, and those sorts of anxieties can create jealousy, trust me." He smiled, clapping a light hand to Larry's shoulder. "I can't boss you around, but as your pal I wanted to give you my advice. Travis seems like a fine guy, I haven't met him personally, but Todd has the same opinion of him as Sal when it comes to thinking he's not just some bully these days, and goodness knows those two fellas are the smartest in the house." Larry sighed with a small laugh, ducking his head modestly. "Well, you're right, but I'm worried even if it's not very reasonable and I can't make it go away. Thank you though, I'm trying to keep my protective nature from being possessive y'know? I can't control him just because I have a weird anxiety about the guy. Especially when my logical brain thinks Travis is getting better too."

Neil nodded understandingly, giving him another pat to the shoulder before rising to retire to his and Todd's shared room to change out of his sweaty work clothes. "I understand, you're doing the right thing, and I know it's just because you love Sal a whole ton. You're a good dude, Larry." He walked out and entered his and Todd's room, leaving Larry alone again. He lifted the remote, flicking on the TV. If he was gonna wait around he may as well distract himself so he doesn't get paranoid. 

Approximately an hour later, Sal returned from Travis's house, his stance telling Larry all he needed to know, it went amazingly well of course. "So? How was it?" Larry asked casually, looking up from the TV. Sal bounced a little in place, looking just a bit more animated than usual. "It went very well. He's such a sweet guy, but he's hurting a lot. We had a long and emotional talk at first, but then the rest of the time we just. Talked about anything. It was nice, and he got things off his chest that I know he needed to." He took a seat next to Larry, leaning onto his shoulder with a soft tone to his voice as he spoke. "You didn't worry too much, did you?" Sal asked pointedly, looking up at Larry. He knew him too well, and he was spot on in assuming Larry had been waiting around anxiously. "I tried, that's all I can say." He replied with a nervous laugh, turning his eyes away. Sal shook his head with a quiet laugh, pecking Larry's cheek with the lips of his prosthetic as he would often do when he didn't feel like moving his prosthetic for a small gesture. "I'm gonna go shower and get to bed, don't stay up too long."

After Sal had gotten himself squeaky clean and crawled into bed, Larry came in minutes after he'd turned the lights off, giving a brief warning knock before stepping in. They shared a room but still had the courtesy to give a heads up. He walked over to his hamper and stripped down to boxers and his t-shirt, discarding the rest of his clothes into the basket before climbing into bed. Their bed consisted of Larry and Sal's old twin beds pushed together with a queen mattress cover on top to pass the thing for a couple's bed. Broke asses make do. Sal wiggled closer and laid his head on Larry's chest as soon as he'd laid down and gotten settled, smiling into the darkness as he heard Larry's heart rate pick up slightly. Larry wrapped his arms around Sal's shoulders, pulling him in closer and kissing the top of his head before closing his eyes. Sal nuzzled into Larry's chest with a sigh before relaxing again, eyes drifting shut as he fell asleep to the beat of Larry's heart and the music of his quiet breathing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travis and Sal have their first public date which goes extremely well and they have an amazing night after as a result. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for this Chapter: Worship by Brandyn Burnette 
> 
> https://youtu.be/Bun4BgPnZVI
> 
> "It's a pleasant irony  
> That you stumbled into me  
> You have opened up my eyes  
> Caught me by surprise  
> I don't need to know where you came from  
> I don't need to know where you been  
> As long as you right here in my arms now  
> I don't care if this is a sin  
> Cause I'm feeling you  
> You're feeling me  
> And I don't want this to change  
> Cause I've been there and I've done that  
> It always ends the same.
> 
> Are you coming over?  
> Can I worship you tonight?"

It had been weeks since Sal and Travis's first date, and they'd had 4 more dates in the comfort of Travis's living room since. The last time, Travis had decided that he'd finally feel comfortable going out publicly, and he set himself on finding a really awesome way to make up for all the mediocre living room dates. He'd purchased two tickets for a local concert nearby. He wished he could take Sal to see some more prominent bands knowing his taste, but he knew Sal would also likely have just as much fun at a local gig, because he's humble like that. Travis felt extremely excited as he pulled up to pick Sal up for the date. He'd only told him to dress like he would for a party, but hadn't told him that they were actually going to attend a multi genre concert featuring grunge, punk, metal, and similar styles at a recreational club in downtown Nockfell. Low-profile, but it definitely could be fun with Nockfell's thriving alternative community. He didn't even have to get out or text Sal that he was there, as he pulled up to the curb outside of the house Sal walked out immediately, showing he'd be awaiting his arrival eagerly. Travis had only recently been able to really explore darker and heavier music genres, and he was growing pretty fond of them from sheer exposure, so he felt pretty enthusiastic too knowing where they were headed.

Sal hopped into the passenger seat, bouncing a little in place like he would sometimes do. He had his hair pulled up into messy pigtail buns, high rise black jean shorts that only came to his mid thigh, fishnet stockings pulled up to the waist, a plain leather band on each wrist, and tall black platform boots, as well as a red crop top splattered with black ink (which revealed that he apparently had a belly button piercing), a small red backpack, and a black denim vest. Perfect, he had somehow nailed his outfit without knowing the venue, Travis thought victoriously. Travis himself had dressed a bit out of his comfort zone of looking like some half baked frat boy, going for a laid back and grungy look with some of the clothes he'd recently inherited from his new group of friends. He wore a baggy military green jacket, a slightly oversized black sweatshirt sporting the Nirvana logo, baggy blue jeans cuffed to the ankle, black socks, and a pair of beat up purple hightops. He'd messed his now slightly grown out hair up intentionally as opposed to his previously consistently perfectly parted and trimmed hair, finding the tastefully sloppy look appealing. 

"You look great." Travis greeted with a smile, pulling away after he managed to pull his eyes back to the road and away from Sal's legs. Sal smiled behind his prosthetic, buckling up and settling in for the drive. "Thanks, you're not so bad yourself. I like the bad boy vibes-" he teased while side-eyeing Travis, reaching down a moment to adjust his bootstraps and laces, which had been tied hastily as he left. Travis scoffed, still smiling warmly as he did so. "Oh c'mon these are mostly clothes from you guys! What did you expect." He laughed under his breath with a glance to Sal, lightning quick. Sal returned the laugh, sitting back again after retying his boots. "The hair is cute too, it's getting shaggy. Kind of a Kurt Cobain look if it was a bit longer, it suits you. You'd look really nice with long hair if you wanted it anyway." Travis blushed, taking the compliment to heart. Sal could be so unexpectedly sweet, and it often caught Travis off guard. "Thanks, it's nice to dress myself finally, even if I'm asking for help sometimes. At least then I'm asking for it, not being forced." 

Sal nodded, humming in agreement. He was so happy to see Travis forming himself into the person Travis wanted, not anyone else. He felt proud of the ongoing progress Travis had made in those ways, playing with his identity and expression more and more as he realized he actually could. "So, where are we going, anyway?" Sal finally asked, crossing his legs and resting his hands in his vest pockets. Travis smirked knowingly. "You'll see, I think you're gonna love this. Patience is a virtue." He said with a vague and smug grin, turning toward downtown. Sal rolled his eyes and huffed, but he smiled anyway. Travis looked so excited, and Sal knew Travis wanted to impress with this date, so he looked forward to whatever was coming.

They pulled onto a strip of old brick commercial buildings containing local businesses, all clumped together with only the occasional thin alley. Travis parked right outside of a particular building that seemed to pulse with low bassy music, reaching into the glove box for two tickets and smiling victoriously before handing Sal his own. "Here we are." Sal's eyes lit up and he got out excitedly, immediately bouncing in place. "a concert??? Dude that's fucking perfect. You nailed it." Travis hopped out with him and led him inside of the building with a smile and a flourish, the place appeared to be an old bar converted to a small arcade/auditorium/diner. Game systems lined the walls and split part of the room into a maze of screens and bit music. On the other side was a bar where one could order soft drinks or booze (if of age) as well as food. The place was full of activity as they filed in, getting their tickets punched and their wrists stamped for entry. Sal practically buzzed with enthusiasm as he took it all in, a veritable paradise of things he loved that he didn't even know existed in Nockfell. How had Travis managed? He'd have to bring Larry and the others here sometime. 

"Travis, man this is fucking amazing-" Sal said close to his ear to drown out the music, making Travis involuntarily shiver in surprise at the proximity. "How the hell did you find this? I didn't even know the place existed." The loud radio blaring above suddenly stopped, and a voice piped up overhead to announce the beginning of the actual concert. "Helloooo Nockfell Underground! Are you ready for some Real, Raw, Live, and Local talent?!" The voice was a bit corny, but the crowd erupted into applause and yelled incoherent replies anyway. "That's what we thought! Welcome our first band of the night, Nucleaaaar Boooombshells!" He almost sounded like a wrestling host, which made Sal laugh despite himself. The crowd once again erupted as the band filed onto the small stage, a group of four riot grrrls in their finest gear. The setting felt oddly intimate as the band stood only two feet above everyone else and was within reach of the front row. As they suddenly jumped into the first song with very little pomp and circumstance, the crowd exploded as they slammed out a near flawless cover of Seether by Veruca Salt. Sal immediately got pumped, his eyes practically sparkling as he rushed over to the crowd gathered near the stage.

As the night progressed through various bands of many genres, styles, covers, tributes, and originals alike, Sal grew increasingly more amped up as the music sucked him in, and Travis was captivated by him as he moved in an erratic yet transfixing rhythm. As Sal raged, headbanged and jumped around eagerly, Travis found himself joining Sal in the fun and watching him fondly all the while, putting aside his usual nervousness to just let loose a bit. Sal's buns jiggled and bounced with him, being shaken into increasingly messy spiked balls on his head, which Travis found absolutely adorable. Trav was enjoying the music just as much, and he loved the feeling of catharsis that came with the angry and aggressive movements that the music brought out of people. They were both having a hell of a time, and he felt so happy to have this incredible memory for them to share.

During a brief intermission, they decided to grab some food from the bar and take a break from their vigorous moshing, popping a seat at the bar and eating a few slices of pizza between them. "I'm having a fucking amazing time, Travis. This is the coolest thing I've ever seen in Nockfell, I can't even lie. I'm already making plans to bring everyone I know-" he laughed, taking a sip of his water to wash down a bite. Travis smiled at him, leaning on the bartop with his eyes fixated on Sal. "I'm so glad! I really wanted to find something perfect since it's our first actual public date. I'm relieved that this place lived up to the hearsay. Hell, they've even got killer pizza." Sal nodded in agreement behind another bite, swallowing before speaking. "Not to mention I had no idea Nockfell could churn out such amazing local music. This shit rocks? Like, I'm buying all of their CDs ASAP." Travis chuckled through a bite of supreme, shaking his head. "Of course you are- hey, it's nice to support small talent though." He took a sip of his lemonade, throwing him a crooked smile.

After they'd eaten and finished their drinks, they made their way to the merch tables. Sal's eyes lit up like a kid in a toy store before he promptly checked his wallet and budgeted what he could buy responsibly. Trav watched as Sal bounced between tables, buying four t-shirts in total, one for each band and one CD each as well. He walked up to Travis, a spring in his step as he showed off the stuffed gift bag. Sal whipped out one of the shirts and handed it to Travis, along with a disk. Travis watched Sal's eyes crinkle behind his prosthetic and he smiled back as he realized Sal was absolutely grinning even if it wasn't visible. "Here! A memento for our first public outing, and a rad shirt too." Travis grinned back brightly, accepting them before rolling the disk into the shirt for protection while they walked out to the car for a moment to catch some air and put the merch in the car before the music started again.

They found that a group had gathered around a guy who was busking outside, and they were all just laughing and talking and singing along as the man played, singing passionately. Travis smiled at the wholesome circle of strangers who were just taking time with people they didn't know to bond over music, finding something deeply human about the scene as they placed their things inside the car. 

Sal came over to the man playing immediately as they walked back and dropped a fat tip of 40$ in the guys case as he paused to tune, much to his surprise. "Look, we're going back inside so I can't hear more. Sorry I'm gonna miss the rest, but you're playing really well, I play myself. You earned it-" he shot him a finger gun before walking back to Travis, grabbing his hand happily to lead him back inside for the last band. Sal was in a great mood and Travis felt satisfied with the result of his choice, squeezing Sal's hand as they walked in. It helped that they'd spotted other visibly non-hetero couples, so Travis felt safe. They made it back to the crowd near the stage just as the last band began playing, ripping into a cover of In Bloom by Nirvana and sending the crowd into fits. Sal lost his fucking mind, because it happened to be among his favorite songs of all time. He lifted his prosthetic away from his mouth and sang along loudly, and Travis found that he actually had a great voice. Sal had a throaty and breathy voice with a lot of vocal fry, so he was well suited for singing along to the dark voiced performance. He had a strong and powerful voice that rang out pretty clear even compared to the band's singer despite being muffled and distorted behind all the noise. The singer took notice and pointed him out, beckoning him forward as the guitar solo began and offered a pause. 

Sal jumped as he realized he was being beckoned, rushing up as a path cleared in the crowd just in time to take the mic from the singer as he held it out. Sal burst into the next verse with a surprising amount of confidence, high on the sheer delight he felt from the entire event. The crowd was very impressed, cheering and singing along just as loudly as Sal sang out with stunningly skilled vocal flexibility, before he and the band's singer finished off the last verse together. He was exhilarated as the song ended, pulling his prosthetic back down and smiling out at the people as they cheered long after the music stopped. The singer gave him an approving nudge on the shoulder and a wink before asking his name into the mic. Sal stammered an answer, laughing nervously as the guy grabbed the mic back lightly and spoke into it. "Well I have no idea who you are, Sal, but you got some fuckin PIPES." The crowd made loud sounds of agreement, and Travis smiled up at Sal as he was cheered on. What a turn of events. The guy put the mic back on the stand, leaning over to speak to Sal quietly away from the mic. "Seriously, that was a shock. Hope you come around some more to jam with us, we play here all the time-" 

"I definitely will be now!" Sal replied in delight as he turned and got back off the stage, allowing the band to prep for the last song of the night. After a few moments of fiddling with instruments, they broke out into an original song, and Sal found his way back to Travis, laughing giddily as he did. "Can you believe that shit? Pinch me, I must be dreaming because that was the most confident thing I've done in my entire life, and they fucking LOVED it!" Travis smiled and laughed along, still looking surprised himself. "Honestly I had no idea you sing like that! You sounded great. I didn't know you sing at all. I do too, actually. Just, very different." They quieted as the song ended and the band said goodbye before the announcer came back to announce the end of the concert and the beginning of the scheduled open mic poetry. Sal and Travis made their way to the exit hand in hand, walking in happy silence back to the car. 

As soon as they pulled away, Sal took off his prosthetic with a sigh. "It was getting sweaty in here, man." They both laughed as Travis pulled around the corner. "We should go back to your place for a bit." Sal suggested after letting his hair down before shaking it out and settling into his seat yet again. He still felt the rush of adrenaline, and he wanted to spend more time with Travis. Travis glanced at him nervously as he paused at a stop sign, finding Sal giving him a strange and contemplative look. He inhaled sharply and looked back to the road as he pulled forward. "A-alright." 

When they were inside the apartment and had kicked off their shoes, Sal took a seat on the recently purchased used couch that Travis had acquired. Travis sat down next to him, leaning into the back of the couch with a deep breath. "What a night." He said with a smile, looking over to find Sal giving him that strange look again. Travis jumped, blinking rapidly as he became instantly nervous. "W-whats that look?" 

Sal hummed thoughtfully, leaning a bit closer and smirking as his hair fell into his face. "It's the 'I had a great time, you look very handsome, I'm full of numerous exciting neurochemicals, and now we're alone' look." He propositioned with a knowing smirk. Travis choked on air, eyes going wide. "Holyshityou'reserious-" he said breathlessly, running his words together as the realization set in. Sal laughed softly, fixing his eyes on Travis with a knowing look. "Only if you're comfortable, of course. I'm just saying-" Sal shifted, uncrossing his legs with a meaningful glance to Travis's lips as he leaned closer. "You look good, and my heart is already racing, and I had so much fun, and I guess it feels right for me...if you're ready for that." 

Travis swallowed thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing as he contemplated his level of readiness. It took him about ten seconds to throw caution to the wind, boldly leaning in to kiss Sal. This caught Sal off guard and he immediately melted in closer, draping his arms around Trav's neck. As they parted for breath Sal smiled reassuringly. "You can also stop any moment if you change your mind. No matter what." Travis smiled back, nodding understandingly before kissing him again. Sal crawled into his lap, straddling him as Travis's hands hovered above his hips momentarily, nervous to touch him. He set his hands on Sal's waist and leaned up to chase Sal's lips as he knelt above him in his lap. 

Travis felt dizzy, warm, and breathless as he relaxed beneath Sal, allowing himself to be guided carefully through the motions as Sal grinded lightly into his lap. This earned a surprised but pleased groan from Travis, grip tightening on Sal's waist. Sal kissed Travis slowly and deliberately, taking his time and remaining cautious and patient for Travis's sake. Travis had warned Sal that he was completely a virgin, and hadn't even kissed anyone but Sal aside from one boy he kissed when he was a little kid, so Sal wanted to ensure that he was comfortable and didn't feel rushed or pressured. 

Sal cupped Travis's face in his hands, gasping softly between kisses as Travis's grip pulled him closer and intensified the friction slightly. Trav let out a soft sound as Sal moved to kiss his neck, rocking his hips down pointedly. "I know you're nervous, that's okay. Just try to relax and I can show you-" he said this with a kiss to his jaw, smiling as he nuzzled his lips against Trav's skin. Travis made a small noise resembling a whimper, a tremble running through him at Sal's tone. "I trust you, Sal." Was all he could manage to say, sitting passive beneath Sal, stunned and awestruck. Travis was entranced by Sal as he gently rocked back and forth against his body, a hypnotic motion that drew Travis in and held his gaze as Sal leaned back to look down at him while he moved. 

Sal slipped his shirt off and tossed it haphazardly, revealing his bare chest, already freckled with leftover hickeys which he could assume had been from Larry. To Travis's small surprise, Sal appeared to have small breasts that he'd somehow never noticed. This was unexpected, but Travis didn't really react at all as Sal leaned in to kiss him and tugged Trav's shirt over his head, parting lips to lift it off and toss it aside. He drifted his hands down Travis's chest, pausing as he took in the fact that he was dotted with scars all over his body. He'd already seen scars on Travis's arms that appeared self inflicted, but these didn't look like self harm. He pushed this sadness away, kissing Travis again as his hands slowly set to unbuttoning and unzipping Travis's jeans. 

Sal trailed kisses down his neck, shifting his knees to the ground in front of the couch as he trailed his lips down Travis's abdomen lovingly. He glanced up as his mouth hovered at his naval, hesitating. "Is this okay?" He murmured against his skin, mouthing lightly at his hip bone. Travis sucked in a shaky breath, nodding. "Y-yes." With that, Sal pulled his jeans and boxers to his ankles in a swift motion as Travis lifted his hips to allow it. He returned his lips to Travis's stomach, smirking as the nervous man's abdominal muscles quivered in response to the light stimuli. Sal slid a hand up Travis's inner thigh, planting one more kiss on the crease of his hip and stomach before wrapping his hand around the base of his member. He dipped his head to take Travis into his mouth quite suddenly, and Travis instantly melted beneath him, hands grasping at the cushions as a soft moan escaped him. Travis's head fell back against the couch, his breathing uneven and heavy as Sal bobbed his head slowly. 

Travis placed a shaky hand to Sal's head, only allowing himself to absently stroke his hair in encouragement. His eyes rolled back and he gasped as Sal flicked his tongue, groaning involuntarily as his hips surged forward against his will. Travis stammered an apology, to which Sal only responded with a dark chuckle and by suddenly picking up his pace. Travis looked down at him in a mixture of shock and arousal as Sal moved his head confidently. He found himself wondering how much Sal had done this, and something about that thought drove him inexplicably wild. Sal didn't seem to mind Travis's hips jerking occasionally, as a matter of fact, he encouraged it every time by moaning and curling his tongue. Finally taking the hint, Travis stopped trying to force himself completely still, instead allowing himself to move his hips carefully in sync with Sal, ever cautious about gagging him despite Sal obviously being into that. 

Sal withdrew with a soft groan, licking his lips and looking up to catch the look on Travis's face. Trav looked absolutely enraptured, his heavily lidded eyes fixed on Sal as his chest rose and fell urgently with his excited breath. Sal shifted, tossed Travis's pants and boxers aside completely, stood and grabbed Travis's hand, pulling him up and walking him over to his bed. "Lie down, let me grab something-" he walked over to where he'd set his backpack coming in, thankful that he came prepared. 

He returned to the bed with a condom, a small bottle of lube, and an incredibly smug expression. He slipped out of his remaining clothes, glancing back to catch Travis looking. Trav steeled himself as Sal climbed into his lap once again, ripping open the condom and putting it on Travis before he even knew what happened. Sal leaned in to kiss him deeply, coating his fingers in lube as he did. He placed his other hand on Travis's chest for support, kissing him slowly as he reached behind himself with his lubricated fingers to prep himself for what was to come. 

Sal was very soon moaning against Travis's lips, gently rocking against his own fingers as he stretched himself carefully. Travis set his hands on Sal's hips, kissing back eagerly. Travis gasped and moaned as Sal suddenly reached his hand back around and stroked him slowly, coating him in lubricant before drawing back from his lips. "Any last doubts?" He asked quietly, smiling softly at Travis. Travis shook his head. "No...I'm ready." Sal pecked his lips with another smile before shifting forward. He reached down to guide Travis inside of him as he lowered his hips, immediately moaning and burying his face in Travis's shoulder. Trav let out an adorably obscene whine of relief, and Sal pressed a kiss to his throat before rocking his hips down intently. He pivoted his hips enthusiastically, placing a hand on Travis's cheek. Trav turned to kiss his hand, a soft moan rising from him as Sal arched his back, trailed his thumb over Travis's bottom lip, and pulled him upright into a kiss. Travis's hips jerked and he kissed Sal fervently, beginning to move his hips in sync as Sal rode him. 

As their pace progressed, Sal's breathing grew more labored and devolved into breathless moans with each thrust of their hips. Travis lost himself in kissing Sal's neck, his grip tightening on Sal's hips as his hands guided Sal's movements. Sal tilted his head, a shiver and a guttural moan tearing through him as their pace became even more urgent. Travis gently sucked a bruise into the juncture of Sal's jaw and neck, one of his hands sliding to gently grasp Sal's neglected member. Sal gasped in surprise, his hips pivoting sharply. He rocked more intensely in response, gasping with each move. Sal tensed, his muscles quivering as he climaxed suddenly. He showed no sign of stopping despite this, rocking down onto Travis intently. Travis's hands jumped to Sal's waist, sliding to his back and pulling him closer as Sal grinded determinedly into him. Finally, Travis's breath caught and his head tossed back suddenly as he tipped into orgasm. He panted and let out a long, low moan, gaping up at Sal in awe as he knelt in Travis's lap, looming above with a look of complete bliss.

Sal finally grinded to a halt before lifting himself from Travis and shifting to sit on the bed next to him. He smiled tiredly, brushing Travis's hair back from his eyes. "What'd you think?" He said with a smirk, both genuinely asking and also slightly teasing as he could clearly see Travis was stunned. Trav seemed to take a moment to catch his breath before smiling at him blearily. "Fucking…incredible." Sal chuckled fondly, throwing his legs off the bed. "Let's get cleaned up-"

After they'd gotten clean, Travis offered for Sal to crash there since it had gotten late, and Sal accepted enthusiastically, shooting Larry a text to let him know. Sal borrowed some of Travis's clothes to sleep in, a giant shirt he'd acquired from Larry that enveloped Sal like nothing, and a pair of comfortable sweatpants. Travis also climbed into some sweats and a tee, then promptly collapsed exhaustedly into bed. Sal laid down with him, draping an arm over him and burying his face in his neck. Travis smiled at the ceiling as he closed his eyes, pulling Sal closer with a content sigh as they both fell asleep quickly from the eventful evening.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travis faces his trauma alone and faces things he may have done in another state of mind. The gang discuss where the hell the cult went and why they've left no trace of themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for this Chapter: Old Time Religion by Parker Millsap
> 
> https://youtu.be/50Qqe9TkGrc
> 
> "He goes fishing  
> for sinning men   
> like Jesus said,  
> He's got an old time conviction,  
> Keeps the bodies in the shed.
> 
> He had a woman,   
> Took her to church every Sunday morn,  
> Said submit to your husband,  
> Submit to me, thus saith the Lord!
> 
> Well he never saw it coming,  
> When she tried to get away in his '34 Ford,  
> Now a widower is strumming,   
> On a banjo with a missing chord!
> 
> Give me that Old Time Religion,   
> Give me that Old Time Religion,  
> Give me that Old Time Religion,  
> It's good enough for me."

Travis sat alone in his apartment, listening along to his Walkman headset, the device had been a gift from Sal along with a large stereo player to warm his apartment. He sat on his bed with his back to the wall listening to Fleetwood Mac, one of Sal's recommendations, and soon found himself singing along to The Chain as it began, losing himself in the words and the intense tone heard in the voices as he let out a piece of his emotions through the song. He'd worn this song out in only a week and had no intent to stop. The rolling bass and drums, the urgent guitar, the anguished and angry voices of the band crying out in harmony, these sounds comforted him. He was reminded of choir, before he found out his entire life was a lie. Back when he still believed that his father was just a mean but well intentioned man of God. When Travis still believed in God. Sometimes, like this moment singing alone, he almost felt God again. Travis had always loved singing, and he gravitated to the music his mother always loved; blues, gospel, folk, jazz. He grew up on it, and his choir background had only fostered his love for singing. He used to bury it and hide it like he did everything he truly loved, but he'd been using his love of music to deal with his thoughts when he was alone since gaining his independence.

Larry and Sal had both handed off a bunch of music to him with the Walkman and stereo player so he could fill his lonely apartment with sound at least. They had a good idea of what he'd enjoy, giving him Fleetwood Mac, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Nirvana, the Cranberries, and other artists they felt everyone on Earth should know, but Travis hadn't been allowed to listen to that music as in his father's home, so he was catching up now. He loved their suggestions, too, they'd nailed his taste. Trav had also gone out to buy music cheap from thrift stores, finding some of the older stuff that he grew up on and always felt nostalgic about such as Nina Simone, Billie Holliday, B.B. King, and Duke Ellington. His mom always had good taste. Slowly, the apartment started to feel less barren and desolate, and he could remember what little good existed in his childhood as he recalled his mother singing along to these old soulful tunes when he was very little, toddling around her feet in the kitchen as she would sing and make dinner. Things felt simple then.

He felt his chest seize up and he tensed, gritting his teeth as the song ended. His father had ruined it all. It was all a lie, an illusion to hide his disgusting true ideology behind the guise of the devout Christian priest. When Travis was 18, on his birthday, he found out his life had been a lie. He closed his eyes, putting his hands over his ears and shaking his head as the memories assailed him. He groaned miserably and pulled his knees to his chest, burying his face against them as he braced himself for the mood drop.

"Son, today you are old enough to understand your role in this world as my legacy, and why I cannot allow you to fail me-" Travis wished he could scream at the memory of his father, but instead he only sobbed silently as it continued. His father told him of the supposed prophecy, the infanticides, the murders, and then the real Earth shattering icing on top of the disturbing family secret cake. His own mother's supposedly "accidental" death was a murder at the hands of his own father, because she had threatened the prophecy, of course. His father seemed apathetic, justifying his actions with nonsensical rambling that always terrified Travis. Travis felt a piece of himself die that day, because he had to know these horrible things and never talk about it. It had already been bad enough when he was being beaten at home regularly and having his father fill his head with self loathing as he verbally attacked everything Travis hid about himself. Travis had lived in fear with a homophobic priest of a father for 18 years already, and then found out that said father wasn't even a man of God himself. He tasted bile as he remembered fearing for his soul at as young as 8 years old, thinking he'd burn in hell for his sinful thoughts that he held inside of daring to want the affection of another boy. Now he knew only his father deserved hell. His father was the demon, not him. 

He fell over as he curled in on himself, the chaos in his head mixing with the sound from the walkman as he attempted to drown out the horror of what he'd gone through when he left, but the music only added more chatter. It all felt so rushed and blurred, his memories coming in single frames of disturbing scenes. He barely remembered what happened in detail, and he was afraid to remember it all. He only remembered so much blood, and so much darkness as he escaped the dungeon of the cult, running after he'd blacked out during his "initiation ritual". He'd cried as he ran, vision blurring with tears and his hands soaked in blood. He'd been injured pretty badly, but the blood wasn't his own.

Travis shakily forced himself to rise from his curled up position, standing and taking off the Walkman headset, setting it aside clumsily. He took a deep breath and shook out the memories with his hands on his temples, not knowing how to cope and feeling far too overwhelmed. If he let himself think about it too long he'd lie down and never want to get up again, he had to remember why he left in the first place. 

He'd been primed for months before the initiation, given more information than he'd ever wanted. His head had been overflowing with gruesome understanding of his surroundings as soon as it came to light what his father was. Call it bravery or foolishness, but Travis had to know more than they were telling him. He had to. He'd snuck into the archives one night, and found exactly the horrors he'd expected.

Case files. What had to be hundreds of case files filled to the brim with personal information on specific individuals who were somehow connected to the cult's activity in one way or another. Victims, members, ex-members, potential threats, potential allies, all filed away and described in detail within these unnerving records. While hastily but quietly skimming for information, he'd stopped in abject horror as a familiar head of blue hair appeared in a photo within a folder, appearing to have been photographed from behind while leaving Addison Apartments. The photo was accompanied by a profile and a description of all known information on the subject, None other than Sal.

Person of Interest - Highest Concern  
Name: Sal Fisher

Description of initial encounter: Shot in the head by Master Phelps while being shielded by his mother. The mother died, the boy lives. For now.

Notes:   
Somehow survived his severe cranial injuries as a child and persists. Now he seeks knowledge that brings him to our attention once again as he meddles in our affairs. Must be monitored at all costs. Do not allow him to find the sanctuary.

Travis's gut sank as he had read the ominous file, his head screaming internally as he realized what it said. His own father was responsible for Sal's prosthetic? For Sal's dead mother? Sal had to be in danger, right? He suddenly felt even worse for how he'd treated Sal as he stood in those dark halls absorbing this horrific truth. In that moment all that he wanted was to take back his cruel and petty actions toward Sal and undo the pain his father caused for all these people. He wished his father hadn't been born, even if it meant he hadn't been either. He felt shame, fear, disgust, and hopelessness as he quickly put away the file and rushed out to avoid being seen in an area forbidden to him, he'd lingered too long already.

Back in the present, Travis sat himself on his couch, staring up at the ceiling as he processed these memories again. He'd replayed what he recalled so many times since. He'd had such good times after leaving, but the cost of his freedom weighed heavily on him as his memories tinged his nose with the scent of rot that permeated the dungeon crossed with the coppery smell of fresh blood. He could still see the blood on his hands, feel the spatter on his face. He didn't have to be there to remember the putrid odor of the damp and ominous tunnels as he ran from what he'd done, feeling like the smell of copper and mold would suffocate him. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew what he'd done the night he left. He'd killed them, hadn't he? How else could he have escaped and not been followed and killed himself? He'd been avoiding admitting this to himself despite the thought occurring to him often. He knew what he'd done even without recalling the moment, but he feared what remembering the act would do to him, and he feared knowing he'd taken lives. Even if he'd had no choice, he didn't know how to cope with this burden on his soul. If there was a God, Travis begged them for forgiveness and understanding as he cried into the empty echo of the grey room. Travis cradled his head in pain as he felt a migraine coming, it was going to be a long night to spend alone.

In the meantime, at the house shared between Sal, Larry, Todd, and Neil, the former three young men sat in the living room discussing the lack of activity from the cult and their concerns with the matter while Neil slept. They'd been making progress with the whole thing and suddenly all traces of them disappeared, as if the entire cult had spontaneously evaporated. They weren't sure whether they should be worried or relieved, tracing all their steps to ensure they didn't miss anything that implied something else was coming. Just in case. 

Todd had a few ideas of course because he always did, but even he was seriously confused, because none of this made sense or matched any previous behavioral patterns from the cult. Sal had been scouring all the usual locations, but no spirits responded anymore, so he felt like he was of little use in the cause. Larry especially felt confused, and uncertain of how they should proceed, the most worried of them all, per his anxious nature. 

"I just don't know how they could disappear like this-" Sal said thoughtfully as he scanned through notes and evidence they'd collected over the years, "I mean, unless they gave up and just killed themselves to join their creepy Eldritch legion God, but that's unlikely since they were pretty set on bringing the world with them." He pondered, eyes flitting over all the familiar information uselessly as he hoped to stumble upon anything new of note that they'd missed. Todd was doing the same, wracking his brain for ideas. "Right?! It doesn't make any semblance of sense. Maybe they're running around in some of those alternate dimensions, biding their time or searching for something? Seems like an oddly sudden time for them to go on an interdimensional vacation, though." Sal nodded in agreement, sighing as he set down the papers he was looking through. "Man, this makes my head hurt. I just hope they're not planning something." 

"If they're alive, they're planning something." Is all Todd said in response. He sighed deeply, both hands scratching at his stubble in frustration for a moment before resting them in his lap. He rose from his seat on the couch, shaking his head. "As concerning as this is, we all still need to be getting sleep. You guys make sure you don't stay up til 6 am scaring yourselves shitless by endlessly discussing this, okay? Get some sleep. Goodnight, guys." Todd sometimes sounded vaguely maternal and was the self described momfriend after being dubbed such by Ashley. Always the voice of reason, that Todd.

"Night, Todd." Sal and Larry simultaneously replied as he stepped away to join Neil in bed. Sal started stacking the papers and filing them back in order before slipping them inside of the chest that served as an ottoman, tucked beneath several throw blankets inconspicuously. "He's right, let's try to unwind and then get some sleep." He rifled around inside the chest a moment, coming out with a small wooden box containing Larry's smoking paraphernalia. Larry laughed under his breath. "Well, that is one way to relax. Let's do it."

They retired to their own room with it because while Todd didn't seriously mind the smell, they still felt it would be rude to make the whole place smell like weed when only two of the occupants were stoners. They both stretched out and got comfortable on the bed, Sal lying on his belly and watching as Larry rolled them a joint. "How much you wanna bet we're both knocked out ten minutes after we finish?" He laughed sleepily, looking at the clock, it was already 12:30 am after all.  
"Oh dude, I'm gonna sleep the second my head makes contact with my pillow, I'm wiped. All this stressful cult paranoia got me today." 

Larry took the first hit and Sal sat up, sitting criss-cross beside him. Sal took the joint as it was offered, followed by taking a deep hit before passing it back. He coughed just a bit as he exhaled, but he handled it well enough. He'd smoked enough to keep up with Larry if he wanted to by now, he just generally wouldn't partake as often as Larry did.  
Larry leaned into Sal's shoulder, laying his head on him as Sal passed it back. They sat this way until they were done, silently enjoying each other's company as they medicated for bed. 

When they'd finally smoked it down to a roach, they snubbed it and set it aside. Both of them were too tired and stoned to really move, so they simply discarded their pants, deciding to sleep in their underwear and shirts. Larry pulled Sal onto his chest as they laid down together, pressing his lips to the crown of his head before laying back. Sal smiled and relaxed into his arms with a content sigh. No matter what was happening, he felt safe in this moment. Sal fell asleep quickly as Larry dozed off, absentmindedly running his hands through Sal's sky blue tresses before he fell into a heavy and dreamless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mixed bag, 
> 
> Starts with smut ends with angst 
> 
> Welcome to my rollercoaster ride of emotions, folks

Sal and Larry lay cuddled up on their bed together, enjoying having the house to themselves while Neil and Todd were away visiting Todd's family overnight. They were watching some rerun sitcoms on the TV, which they'd temporarily brought to their room. Larry was sitting on their bed with Sal situated comfortably in his lap, fitting just perfectly. They really were like two pieces of a puzzle in that way, Larry's large hands enveloping Sal's own smaller, worn hands, calloused from thousands of hours of guitar practice, their bodies fitting perfectly when they would lie or sit together, Larry's lips folding perfectly against Sal's own. 

Sal found himself holding one of Larry's hands in both of his, looking closely at it for some inexplicable reason. This didn't bother Larry a bit, who knew Sal had this tendency to fixate in such ways sometimes. He just found it endearing, so when Sal suddenly smiled, blinked out of his train of thought, and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, Larry's heart jumped and he returned the smile. 

"What was that for?" Larry asked, still grinning stupidly. Sal shrugged, letting go of his hand and fidgeting with a long strand of hair falling near his eyes. "I don't know...felt like it." He leaned close to press a kiss to Larry's nose and laughed softly. "Do I have to have a reason to kiss you?" Larry chuckled under his breath. "Guess not, just took me by surprise. It amazes me how I can never get used to you being sweet out of nowhere." 

Sal smiled again, softer this time, and looked at his lap. "I guess I just get a bit overwhelmed with the need to show my affection and appreciation, you know? You're just so important to me like that. Small moments like this right here, just chilling with you and enjoying the simple aspects of a domestic life...it feels so nice and sometimes I remember I used to think I would never have that. So those small gestures are my way of saying thank you. For loving me." He looked back up with a nervous laugh and found Larry staring down at him with a tender lovestruck expression. "Sal…" he leaned in to kiss his forehead, "I should be thanking you. My life has gotten so much brighter with you in it, you deserve more love than one person can even give, literally."

Sal felt his heart wrench and he took a shaky breath, eyes welling up slightly. "Oh dear, it appears I've sprung a leak." He joked in a monotone voice as Larry brushed a stray tear from his cheek and kissed his forehead again. "Lucky for you I have plumbing experience-" he joked back with a wink, "Ever need a snake in your drain? Call me." Sal snorted out loud, shaking his head. "Oh my God Larry. Please stop immediately." Larry hooted with laughter, wrapping his arms around Sal and squeezing him in a hug. "But you loooooove me, Sally Face. You know you do. Also, every single time you snort while laughing I gain a year of life just so you're aware. That shit is the cutest-" 

Sal giggled as he was pulled closer and returned the embrace. "Oh whatever dork, it's not that cute." Larry gasped, feigning offense. "Such blasphemy! Take that back!" Sal rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you chose the moment I started crying about how much I love you to be a gay doofus, you absolutely charming bastard, it makes me weak." Larry cackled with a playfully devious grin. "That's the point, duh." Sal snickered under his breath, shifting in Larry's lap to straddle his hips, looking down at him with a smirk. "Is that a challenge? Are you trying to pull the wool over my eye? I see the game you're playing-"

Larry pulled his own knowing smirk, eyes floating over Sal with a sudden shift in intent. The lovestruck shine still glinted in his eyes, but something else crept into his gaze as his eyes wandered and Sal slid his hands up Larry's chest to brace himself against his shoulders. "Nothing to say, Johnson? Tsk tsk-" Sal teased, raising one scarred and disjointed eyebrow suggestively. Larry swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing momentarily as he slid his own hands slowly down Sal's back to grasp the joint of his hips and thighs on both sides. "What can I say, sometimes you get me speechless." Larry said as he leaned close to Sal's ear, mouthing lightly at his neck.

Sal almost visibly shuddered at the dark but sweet tone of Larry's voice, speaking low in his chest as he would tend to do in moments like this. That raw and intimate tone of voice that he only used toward Sal, something akin to a purr or growl. That voice drove Sal wild, and Larry knew that all too well. 

With the TV droning forgotten in the background, Sal carded a hand in Larry's hair at the nape of his neck as Larry continued to kiss his neck. Sal tipped his head back and a sharp gasp shook out of him as Larry caught him by surprise and latched his teeth into his throat, followed by another feather light kiss to the sore mark. Larry smirked and a smug laugh rumbled out of his chest in response to the sound, sliding his hands slowly underneath Sal's shirt to trace shapes along his hips and the small of his back. Sal's back arched into the soft touch and he sighed shakily as Larry sucked bruises into his flesh, trailing across his neck, clavicle, and shoulders at an intentionally slow and teasing pace. Sal wiggled impatiently, pressing closer and tightening his fist in Larry's hair gently as he grinded their hips together restlessly. 

Larry laughed quietly at Sal's enthusiasm, the sound vibrating against his skin as Larry grasped his hips tighter to hold him still. "Oh come on now how can you already be in a hurry?" Sal laughed and bucked insubordinately into his hands, fighting from being held still. "Larry. Sweetheart, Babe, Need I remind you that I am literally a slut? Don't act like you don't know-" Larry shook his head with a fond but smug smirk. "Oh trust me, I definitely know." He slid Sal's shirt over his head, eyes wandering over him for the thousandth time yet but looking at him as if it were still the first. The look of pure adoration Larry had for Sal never had changed in the time they'd been together.

Sal pulled Larry's shirt off in kind, immediately fixating on the feeling of running his hands over his chest. The firm muscles Larry had built in recent years weren't necessary and Larry had always been one hell of a handsome man, but Sal had definitely developed quite a fondness for Larry's strong build, and this showed. Sal sighed dreamily as his hands roamed aimlessly across planes of muscle, biting his lip before leaning in to press his lips to Larry's chest, leaving a small love bite in his wake dead center above his heart. A weak groan escaped Larry and his grip on Sal's hips tightened, shifting to grasp his thighs tightly before rolling to shove Sal down beneath him with ease, considering Larry had him beat in weight by nearly 100 lbs due to Larry being a 240 lb oak tree and Sal being a 150 lb short-stack. Sal wasn't exactly petite and had some softness and muscle to himself which helped a bit, but they'd come a long way from the lanky Larry days and it showed in how easily Larry could pin him.

An involuntarily whimper slipped from Sal at the surprise, eyes wide as he gazed up at Larry with a meek expression, his attitude temporarily held at bay by his weakness for being manhandled. Larry loomed over him for only a moment to appreciate the view before practically diving into a deep kiss, leaning down close as Sal wasted no time throwing his legs around Larry's waist in search of friction. 

They locked lips fervently and pressed as close as humanly possible, a soft moan escaping Sal as Larry grinded against him with slow and measured movements. He was still going slow to provoke Sal's brattier tendencies, which Larry was way too fond of doing. It wasn't very difficult to get Sal to a high degree of impatient pouting, light insulting, and bargaining followed swiftly by his attitude dissolving into pleading. Larry had this down to a science at this point and he had a thorough understanding of exactly how to set him off the right way, which, needless to say, did come in handy. 

Sal rocked his hips with a flustered whine, indignantly clawing his nails into Larry's shoulders with a vice grip to show his annoyance at the delay. Larry hissed out a moan at the sting, biting Sal's lip in response and receiving an echoed moan from Sal as an answer. He lifted Sal by the thighs, hands shifting to tug at his jeans, pulling the sinfully tight red denim off of him with far too much ease. One could say he was used to peeling Sal out of skinny jeans. 

He tossed the offending red cloth aside, immediately moving his lips down Sal's neck and chest once more as he pressed his thighs apart with a powerful swift motion causing Sal to whimper at the display of strength. Sal spread his legs eagerly in response, back arching in anticipation as Larry sucked a heart shaped bruise into his stomach, sliding a hand up Sal's inner thigh to palm him through his underwear as Larry's lips made their way leisurely down his torso toward their prize.

Sal shuddered at the sight as he looked down at him, this perspective always giving him a bit of a thrill as Larry would glance up at him with such a worshipping gaze. Larry pulled his boxers away finally and tossed them aside, immediately setting himself to work between Sal's legs without hesitation. This sudden flood of stimulation after so much teasing caused Sal to let out an obscene gasp, his hands immediately burying themselves in Larry's hair. Sal moaned as Larry ever so pointedly unraveled him with his tongue, his knuckles white as he grasped desperately at Larry's tousled hair. 

Sal's hips began to move in sync with Larry's motions as he was handed the basic control of his movements. Larry had gone quite lax, allowing Sal to tug him by the hair and fuck his mouth. He trusted Sal and that was one way he liked to show it, he knew Sal wouldn't push him beyond his limits, and he relished in giving Sal control if it meant he could hear those gorgeous moans. Larry closed his eyes with a low moan, grasping Sal's thighs tightly with a trembling grip as he encouraged Sal with flicks of the tongue. For several minutes this continued, a mess of noise slowly being coaxed from Sal with each bob of Larry's head.

Sal gasped and his body tensed, sucking in a sharp breath as he felt a sudden wave of sensation in his abdomen. He stammered a warning, whining and pouting immediately as Larry pulled away just before he could come, raising an eyebrow at him smugly as he licked his lips. "Larry if you don't stop being a shit I swear to-" Larry interrupted this threat by unceremoniously flipping Sal onto his stomach and looming over his back to whisper against his neck. "What was that, babe?" Sal shuddered and whimpered yet again as Larry slid his hands down his back with a light touch. 

Sal groaned in both arousal and frustration, curving his back impatiently as Larry leaned up to the bedside drawer for the necessities. Larry pressed several loving kisses to his spine as he pulled on the condom and snapped the bottle open. Sal moaned shamelessly as Larry worked him open slowly and patiently, burying his face into the mattress with a deep moan as Larry's long fingers quickly found his prostate. He pressed his fingers pointedly, rubbing gentle circle patterns inside of Sal and causing him to let out a muffled cry against the bed. Larry frowned scoldingly and clicked his tongue, grasping a fistful of his hair gently and pulling his head back. "None of that, you know I want to hear every bit-" 

Sal moaned and whined weakly in response, nodding obediently and hoping that behaving himself might get him off easy, pun intended. Larry curled his fingers intently, earning a sharp cry from Sal followed by his hips snapping backward eagerly. "Hn, would you PLEASE pick up the pace-" 

Larry responded with a light smack to his backside, causing Sal to moan halfway through his protest. "That's not how it works you can't just tack please onto a demand and think that passes. Gotta do better than that to win me over, Sal." Sal shuddered, the light sting still ringing in his nerves. "P-please? I really need it, you don't want to deny me my needs do you?" He teased, still retaining just a bit of sass. Larry rolled his eyes with a smirk and laughed under his breath. "Last time I checked dick isn't a life necessity." Sal huffed. "I beg to differ, my love, for I would die without dick." He said sarcastically, smirking with a low moan as Larry stressed his prostate intently before withdrawing his fingers. 

He pulled Sal's hips backward, lining himself up behind him before pausing, smirking as Sal writhed in frustration as he realized he was STILL being made to wait. "Laaaarry, please- oh my God I'm gonna melt into a human puddle any second-" he pleaded, hands gripping the sheets near his head tightly. Larry hummed thoughtfully with a smug tone, shifting Sal's position slightly and spreading his legs apart more. "Please what? I'm not a mindreader, baby. You gotta tell me what you want." 

"Please fuck me, just- Please?" He whimpered, his body trembling with need at this point. "I want you-" he stammered as he tilted his head to glance back at him, barely coherent and now having trouble forming a sentence because anything more than simple pleas would devolve quickly into prods that would get him in trouble and cause him to have to wait even longer. Larry's expression softened momentarily and he pressed a kiss to the back of his shoulder. "Now how can I say no to that?" Larry said with a saccharine sweet tone, thrusting his hips forward finally and causing Sal to immediately let out a loud moan of relief at finally receiving what he wanted.

Larry let out a shaky sigh of restraint, keeping himself reeled in to a fairly slow pace despite honestly wanting to fuck Sal's brains out already. He knew it was always so much more fun to draw things out, though. Sal rocked backward enthusiastically but whined as he was stopped by Larry grasping his hips. "Patience- God damn I've got you real worked up, huh?" He rasped with an endeared tone of voice, angling his hips pointedly and causing Sal's head to snap back as he nailed his prostate. "F-Fuck!" Sal groaned weakly as Larry then slowly grinded his hips immediately after, pressing a kiss to his spine as Sal complied with being held still. "Good boy-" Larry praised, rewarding him with another rough snap of the hips. Sal's breath caught and he choked on another moan, his hands quivering sporadically in the sheets as he held on like his life depended on it. 

Finally beginning to crack himself, Larry's pace began to pick up at last, earning a string of pleased gasps and moans from Sal. "A-ah- fuck, yes-" Sal encouraged breathlessly, trying to hold still despite his hips betraying him and jerking with every other thrust. Larry pivoted his hips sharply, still having enough control to keep his movements a bit measured despite that control slowly crumbling away with each sound Sal made. Larry felt himself getting lost in those sounds often, falling into a sort of trance led purely by his desire to keep hearing Sal's voice crying out and breaking for him. Those whines and moans pulled out an almost feral side of him, completely captivating him without fail. 

Sal tensed once more, his entire body finally caving into the desire to rock backward shamelessly, and Larry was finally beyond the point of making him be patient. Larry let go of Sal's hair, gently pulling him so that he was upright in front of Larry before sliding his hand to gently press to Sal's throat. Not even squeezing, simply resting his hand there thrilled Sal enough, making him shudder as he was pressed back into Larry's chest and fucked senseless. Sal's eyes rolled back and squeezed shut as he felt a climax building inside him again finally, letting out exponentially louder cries with each thrust as he got closer. Larry latched onto his neck, reaching a hand to his front to relieve Sal's strained erection as his other hand continued to guide Sal's hips backward. At this point Sal was doing just as much of the work, throwing himself back to meet Larry's thrusts desperately as his hands buried themselves in his own hair to grasp anything tangible to ground himself. 

With only a few more sporadic thrusts, Sal's body clenched up as he spilled over into Larry's hand, a cracked moan erupting from him. Larry groaned low against his back as Sal tightened around him, following into orgasm after only a few more short thrusts. He pressed his lips to Sal's spine yet again as he withdrew from inside of him, immediately laying him down and grounding him by pulling him into his arms. Sal lay nonverbally panting for a few minutes before smiling up at Larry softly. "Mm...I love you." Larry smiled back, kissing his forehead and brushing his destroyed hair back from his eyes. "I love you too, Baby blue." 

Sal cuddled closer and nuzzled into Larry's neck as Larry shifted to finally clean them both up, deciding to just carry Sal to the bathroom already knowing how bambi-legged he got after rough sex. After they'd cleaned up Larry set him back in bed. "Need anything before I climb in? Water, munchies?" Larry laughed softly, looking at him sheepishly. Sal snorted under his breath. "Nope, just cuddles. C'mere-" he made grabby hands at Larry, who chuckled and climbed in, immediately pulling him close. "Wasn't too hard on you was I?" 

Sal snickered and looked up at him with a smirk. "You have never reached my limit and probably never will because you're a soft caretaker Dom at heart and I'm a masochistic bitch. Besides, we have a safe word. If I need it I'll use it but I sure haven't ever needed it yet." Larry smiled and shrugged. "I know. Just making sure." He pressed another kiss to his forehead, laying his head back and closing his eyes. 

"I love you, Larry." 

"I love you, Sal. G'night-" 

After only a while of sleeping, the pair was awoken by Sal's phone ringing on the nightstand, causing him to shoot up from sleep to check it, because no one ever called this late. He immediately flipped it open when he saw it was Travis calling, his heart jumping in worry as he knew Travis had been struggling mentally lately. "Travis? What's wrong-" Sal asked right away as Larry sat up next to him, also looking concerned. 

"Sal? I can't...I don't know I just don't think I should be alone right now, you know? I know it's late but I-" his voice cracked and Sal's heart broke a little. "Travis, where are you? We'll come get you, it doesn't matter if it's late I want to help-" he glanced at Larry urgently, who got the message and rose to get dressed quickly as Sal followed suit clumsily with the phone pressed to his ear. A soft sob could be heard on the other side of the line for a moment before he answered. "I'm at home, but I can't stand being alone right now, too many memories and nothing to escape them with…" 

"Stay on the line with me okay? We're on the way. You're not alone now." 

"...Thank you, Sal."

They drove as quickly as they could get away with while being safe, and Sal leapt from his side the second the vehicle stopped, rushing upstairs to get Travis while Larry kept the car running. He didn't know what was going on aside from Travis was obviously having some sort of crisis, but he found himself worried too. Sal returned minutes later with Travis in tow, holding a bag of what Larry assumed to be basic overnight needs and a change of clothes. He had Travis by the hand and climbed into the back with him instead of the passenger seat, and Larry felt a twinge in his heart as he saw Sal reassuring him with affection, only this twinge wasn't at all jealousy. It felt warm, and he understood in that moment that he cared about Travis quite a lot too. He drove them home as Sal talked Travis down in the back, listening to Travis vent as Sal listened understandingly despite Travis's explanation being vague, which concerned Sal greatly because he could tell something else was going on that Travis wasn't saying.

"When we get there I'll explain more...I know we're not really in the open but I just, I don't feel safe yet." Travis said quietly, rubbing at one of his puffy eyes tiredly. Sal nodded and gently took his other hand. "That's okay, I understand. The important thing is we're here and you're not by yourself anymore."

Travis gave a weak smile, his eyes softening and showing how grateful he was despite his obvious exhaustion and stress. "Thank you, I mean it. I don't know where I'd be without you two anymore." 

Larry felt a pang in his heart at his inclusion, and he didn't understand it, but he certainly noticed it. "Of course man, you've more than proven that you've changed and everyone deserves a chance, right? It may have taken Sal to get me to come around, but I'm glad I did. I really am, y'know?" Larry was surprised by himself even, his face showing a flicker of hesitation as he realized what he'd just said. Sal also looked a bit surprised, but he couldn't help but smile. No one looked as shocked as Travis, who stared at Larry for a long moment before averting his eyes with a timid look. "Thanks, Larry." 

Back at their house, they headed inside and settled on the couch together as a group, Travis sitting between Sal and Larry and looking the smallest and most vulnerable he ever had, even next to Sal. Sal hesitated before setting a hand lightly on his shoulder. "Do you feel prepared to talk about what's going on at all?" 

Travis swallowed nervously, hesitation clear on his face as his mind raced. Where the fuck should he even start? "Uh-" he made a sound of frustration with himself and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay...so, you're not gonna understand how I know this yet but, you know what the Devourers of God are, correct?"

Larry and Sal's blood simultaneously ran cold and they exchanged a panicked glance. "What about them?" Sal asked urgently, trying to keep himself from immediately freaking out. 

"My father was practically their leader this whole time, Sal."

"...Was?" Larry prodded gently despite his massive spike in anxiety. Travis flinched, his eyes immediately filling with tears. "I-" he choked back a sob and swallowed it. "I don't even know how to say this. I'm so scared to say it out loud." He paused, but Sal and Larry only waited in stunned and anxious silence. "I escaped...and I don't know if you've noticed but they're all gone. I don't fully remember what happened but I think... I-I think I killed them-" he couldn't restrain his sob this time, his shoulders shaking and voice cracking. 

Sal's heart was racing, it was such a scary thing to hear and yet he had no judgement at all. He knew in Travis's situation he likely would have done the same. "How...how did you know that we know about them?" Travis made a pained face. "Case files. You're in one of them, Sal. I knew you were involved somehow. I saw that, and I read what he did to you and your mother, and something snapped inside of me. Then, around a week later I escaped. I felt a motivation to claim my own life like I'd never felt before when I realized how much I'd wronged you and how much they had wronged you too. The guilt motivated me to leave and save myself but it haunts me and now I have to know I was forced to kill my own father and numerous others apparently." 

Larry finally processed this all and piped in. "Listen Travis, they're monsters. You had to do what you had to do. Now we can only hope you got them all, or at least enough important ones that it all falls apart. In my eyes you're a fucking hero for that. They're remorseless murderers, you only fought back to save lives." 

Travis broke down with this affirmation and wrapped his arms around himself, hanging his head low as he cried and shook slightly. Sal slowly and gently eased an arm around him to make sure he didn't startle him, leaning close. "It's okay, Travis. It's okay to let it hurt for a while, you have to let that out. Bottling it up hurts so much worse." 

Trav looked over at him with an indescribable expression, and Larry knew then that Travis truly did love Sal. He saw Travis's expression toward Sal in that moment and knew he also had felt the same way for Sal so many times. That look of appreciation and complete adoration, clear and tangible even in his deep sadness.

Travis smiled sadly for a moment, leaning his head into Sal's shoulder without words for a while. "I can explain more later as needed but honestly now that I've let even that much out I just want to sleep." Sal nodded understandingly. "Of course, that's perfectly fine, handle this at your own pace. This is a ten ton burden you've been strapped with." 

Sal stood up and Larry followed suit. "Larry, you don't mind if he shares a bed with us, do you?" Larry shook his head "Nah, we've got room and I think it'll do him some good to be with you. C'mon, Trav." Travis seemed surprised by this relaxed reaction to the suggestion from Larry as they led Travis into the bedroom and they all simply climbed out of their pants and collapsed into bed in their shirts and boxers, emotionally exhausted beyond belief. Sal laid down between the other two, wrapping his arms around Travis's middle and laying his head on his chest as Larry draped an arm lightly over Sal's side. 

"Goodnight, guys. Thank you so much…" Travis muttered tiredly, eyes drifting shut for the first time in approximately 32 hours as he finally felt safe enough to rest.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trav's first smoke sesh, fluff galore

Sal, Larry, and Travis sat together in Larry and Sal's room a few days later, music playing in the background while they lounged around doing nothing in particular. Larry sat sketching on the other side of the room, meanwhile Sal and Travis sat on the bed, Sal sitting with his legs thrown across Trav's lap and his head resting on his shoulder as Travis leaned back into the headboard restfully, arms draped lightly around Sal as they listened to the music in comfortable silence. Kurt Cobain's voice lilted and droned through the room as Lithium played softly from the radio. Sal sang along under his breath, reciting the lyrics quietly from pure habit and smiling as Travis hummed along ever so quietly, the sound ringing low and rich in Sal's ear as he pressed it to Travis's chest. 

Larry watched them from above his sketchpad with a hidden smile, finding himself more often strangely and astoundingly happy to see them together. He hadn't expected to appreciate Travis's presence in their lives just as much as he did Ashley, but here he was. Man, he missed Ash, he hoped she'd visit them soon, especially for Sal. 

He turned his eyes back to the page, drawing the pair without them knowing. He couldn't help it, he'd just been practicing basic anatomy forms until he looked up and saw them like they were. He felt inspired, so he went with it. He filled in the shadows as the pair sat conveniently idle, glancing up every so often for reference. He thanked his lucky stars that he already had the linework done as Sal suddenly moved and sat up, leaping out of Travis's lap to flail his hair to the chorus. Travis laughed as Sal bounced to his feet and banged his head around, both of them grinning at the silly outburst as Sal's voice grew in volume.

Larry chuckled under his breath, finishing the last of the shadows with a soft smile. As the song faded out and Sal flopped back down, Larry put down his pencil. "Hey, look what I did-" he flipped the pad around, walking over to sit down on the edge of the bed as he passed it over to Sal. His face lit up and he turned it toward Travis with a grin, looking back at Larry. "That's so fucking sweet Jesus Larry how did you do that so fast?" He laughed modestly and shrugged. "I was inspired. Besides, it's just graphite, not like I colored it and everything that quickly." Travis's face softened and he looked at the page wistfully, a small crooked smile hanging from his lips. He passed the sketchbook back to Larry, who surprised him by tearing the page out and handing it to him. "Here, Sal has tons of my art already and I can tell you really like it." 

Trav's eyes widened and his smile brightened for a split second. "Wait, really? Are you sure?" Larry nodded with another shrug. "Sure dude, you were one of the muses after all." Travis's face flushed subtly and he averted his gaze as he accepted the drawing with a smile. Sal glanced between the two knowingly for a moment, gears turning in his head. He'd noticed some sort of change with them lately and he couldn't put his finger on it but he had a hunch. Especially since the night they'd picked him up in the middle of a crisis and Larry made it known he really did care about Travis, there was something happening with them that Sal hoped he was right about. He'd caught several sidelong glances and absent minded stares between them that made Sal's chest buzz warmly as he wondered if the change in dynamic meant something new was about to happen to their relationships. Larry's soft side was showing more often around Travis now, and that said all Sal needed to know, really. 

Larry stretched and his back creaked several times, making him laugh and shudder. "Yikes, I was Not practicing good posture. Again-" He glanced at the clock before looking at Travis. "Hey you've never smoked weed at all right? Are you okay being around it? I want to get good and medicated so I can actually sleep some tonight, but I don't want to freak you out either." Travis blinked, processing for a moment before shrugging. "Doesn't bother me. Honestly, I'd try it." Sal and Larry exchanged a look and Sal turned to him with a smirk and a playful wink. "Hey, just say the word. We share. It's really good for PTSD nightmares and sometimes anxiety too, so it may actually help you some." 

Travis nodded slowly with intrigue before answering. "It can? Fuck yes then, if it can help me stop reliving horror every other night I'm even more interested." Sal snorted briefly. "Why are we all three the same person sometimes, Travis?" 

Travis fixed him with a deadpan stare. "...Daddy issues-" 

The entire trio simultaneously lost their minds, especially Sal, who cackled behind his hands. "DUDE I swear-" he snickered, shaking his head in exasperation. "You're a God Damn mess, Travis Phelps." Sal laughed as Larry pulled out the smoke box, shaking his own head at the antics. "You know, it's great when you can prod at each other's shared trauma casually and everyone in the room gets it." He spoke in an amused tone as he rolled two joints with quick practiced motions.

Travis chuckled lightly, nodding in agreement. "It's kinda the best, though, right?" Sal and Larry couldn't agree more, both fixing him with a smile from either direction. Sal nudged his side with a grin. "It is." 

Larry lit up the first joint, taking a hit and passing it to Sal first. Sal got a devious side-smile for a flash of a moment as he was struck with an idea. "Hey, Travis-" He took a hit, holding it in and beckoning Travis with a finger for a moment. Trav took a moment before he understood what was happening, but the second he realized he leaned forward without hesitation, ever eager for an excuse to get a kiss. Sal pressed their lips together for a moment, coaxing Travis's lips apart and gently passing the smoke through his lips before pulling away with a smile. "Ok, now I can scratch that off the list of firsts-" Travis said, laughing as he exhaled, surprised by how pleasant the taste of the smoke was. Not bad at all.

Larry sat glancing at them a bit flustered for a moment as this exchange happened, involuntarily clearing his throat as the joint was passed to Travis from Sal. Trav took his first real drag cautiously, which was good because he still managed to overshoot it, coughing with a slight laugh as he exhaled. "That was-...significantly stronger." Sal snickered and patted Travis's back lightly as Travis passed it back to Larry, who was looking at Travis with a wide dubious grin. "You good, man?" He teased, bumping Travis's shoulder with his elbow. Travis huffed and rolled his eyes at him. "I can handle it, big guy." Larry snorted, but Sal noticed his cheeks flush despite his nonchalant attitude.

After they'd finished the first, Larry held up the second. "There's one more, but I think you should be good with what you smoked already, right Trav? Don't wanna get you too fucked up the first time you try it." Trav nodded, definitely already feeling plenty of effects. "Good call, thanks for being responsible about it." Larry shrugged. "It's just the right way to be." Sal nodded agreeably as Larry lit up the second for the two of them to share. As they passed it amongst themselves, Travis leaned back and got more comfortable, hands behind his head as the radio picked back up to music from a string of commercials, Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers ringing out from the speakers softly. Travis smiled to himself, soaking in the peaceful feeling he had in that moment. So rarely did he ever feel safe, but with these two he really did. Trav spoke up over the music, staring at the ceiling. "I really appreciate you guys. It's nice to just forget all the bullshit and not be stuck alone with myself all the time." 

Larry perked up, seeming to have an idea. "Dude, you know...you hate being alone in that apartment, and Todd and Neil are moving out in like a week and a half now to their own place." Travis paused as he realized what Larry was suggesting. Sal bounced in his seat, shaking them all as the mattress shook with him. "That's such a good idea! You can take their room and still have your own space, but you'll have company and a place that doesn't remind you of the bad shit you came from." 

Travis blinked rapidly and sat up, looking between them. "Y-you're both sure? That's- I mean, of course I'll move in." He laughed in slight disbelief, smiling at them in a mixture of appreciation and shock. "If you can put up with me, I think I'd feel so much better if I got the fuck out of that place, you know?" Sal smiled understandingly. "Absolutely, I think it'll help you too, and despite your disbelief we genuinely like being around you." Sal was surprised by Larry of all people being the one to suggest this idea. How things had changed.

Larry smiled welcomingly, passing the nearly smoked out joint back to Sal. "We can bring your stuff the day they leave for all I care. No point in you staying in that place any more when the space is available here." Trav fidgeted with his hands for a second. "Thank you." Larry shrugged. "Only seems right. You're Sal's partner too so I should care about your well-being because you're important to him, and by extension, me." He said this despite knowing Travis was important to himself without Sal's influence these days. He really needed to examine his feelings toward Travis, yet he kept dodging it for some reason. He wasn't sure he was prepared to admit it to anyone, including himself.

"It's not even that late yet but that shit worked. I am absolutely zonked. Don't be surprised if I'm asleep shortly-" Larry laughed, flopping onto his back. His mass hitting the bed caused the other two to bounce slightly and they both laughed quietly as they joined him in flopping backward. Travis smiled up at the ceiling as he wondered what would come of them living together. His heart swelled in his chest and he felt himself fighting tears as he thanked whatever power that be for the good that he'd found in the world. He finally felt that he had a home.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so very tender as I write this, folks. I am soft, I am mush, I am blessed. 🥺🥰😭
> 
> Long story short it's just fluff and sweetness this time

Just as proposed, they moved Travis in on the same day that Neil and Todd moved out, bringing his meager belongings over as soon as they had all three finished helping them move out. Sal and Larry had loved living with them, but they totally understood that they wanted to be an independent couple now, and sharing a home with two separate couples in it had come with some awkward moments. They lived a few blocks away now so it would barely make a difference in how often they'd see each other anyway, and Todd and Neil also agreed that moving Travis in seemed like a good idea for his sake. 

Todd and Neil accompanied them to move Travis's things, deciding to offer help in return as a courtesy. Once the task had been accomplished, they exchanged goodbyes so Todd and Neil could begin the process of meticulously unpacking and categorizing everything they own per their very specific standards. They would still be having meetings once a week minimum at Sal, Larry, and Travis's house for the sake of ensuring they were on top of Nockfell's paranormal events, which Todd and Sal both had immediately insisted on, not that anyone protested.

Ash dropped in like the enigma she is, roaring in on her bike. Once she was told the news that they were moving Trav in and that Todd and Neil were moving out she couldn't miss it, so she'd planned to be there, she wanted to see Sal badly anyway. He'd missed her a lot in the time she was spending away.

The second he caught sight of her pulling up Sal took off at a dead run, practically tackling her in a hug as soon as she had her bike on the stand. Ash grinned and laughed giddily, picking him up and swinging him around once. "Hey baby-!" Sal fought the urge to swoon, laughing as she put him on his feet. "Always gotta remind me that I'm smaller than you, huh?" He said with a shake of his head as they walked back to the others. She fixed him with a teasing smile. "Of course I do! I have to flaunt that I'm the girl who could totally bench press my boyfriend." Sal, Larry, and Travis simultaneously burst into laughter at the accuracy of the statement, considering Ashley was proudly showing off absolute guns these days from holding her huge bike up so often. 

She leaned to give him a peck on the lips of his prosthetic with another cheeky smile as they all walked inside. "So? Moving in huh?" Ash prompted with an eyebrow wiggle and a smirk in Trav's direction. Travis flushed and averted his eyes with a nervous laugh. "I know right?" 

They all set to work moving Travis's things into the room, which didn't take very long at all when everything was said and done. As soon as they'd finished, Sal and Ash headed out to have a date for the first time in a while, leaving Travis and Larry alone at the house while they went out to catch a movie, a meal, and take a ride down Ashley's favorite local roads to some scenic spots they enjoyed.

In the meantime, Travis and Larry sat in the living room passing Travis's newly acquired violet glass bowl back and forth and watching some TV absently while chatting a bit about recent changes. Travis had recently switched jobs and no longer worked at his sketchy convenience store job that he'd been barely holding to keep his bills and rent paid, and he now worked behind the counter at Nockfell Underground, which was one hell of a job and he loved working somewhere he associated with such an amazing memory of Sal, plus he got to witness a lot of talented music, poetry, and other performances that booked the place. 

"A whole lot is getting better now, huh? It really feels like the sky is clearing up for us as a group. I could only hope-" Travis thought aloud, leaning over the arm of the couch into his hand with his legs pulled up next to him. Larry smiled, nodding in agreement as he passed the pipe back to him. "I think you're right. Things really feel like they're getting better." 

Larry paused as he looked at Travis, his heart leaping into his throat suddenly. Damn it why did this keep happening to him lately? He took a deep breath, reeling in his racing thoughts as his emotions took him for a ride. Meanwhile Travis sat none the wiser, staring boredly at the TV with a content smile. Larry thought back to that night in the car, and how he'd said so much without thinking. He recalled the look on Travis's face in the rear-view mirror, staring right at him with a sincere softness that had caught him off guard. Just the memory made his heart rate pick up, and Larry realized he had to face the music. 

Larry hesitated, looking over at Travis with a nervous air about him. Trav finally seemed to notice, turning his attention from the TV to raise an eyebrow at Larry quizzically, a subtle blush creeping onto his golden brown skin. Larry nearly jumped but managed to reign it back, tearing his eyes away quickly. "Hey there's... something I think I need to talk to you about." 

Travis tensed slightly, his heart immediately skipping as his brain ran through several possibilities. "What is it?" He asked quietly, unable to look away from Larry despite Larry's inability to meet his eyes. 

"I think...I think I like you romantically." Larry stated simply, managing to get it out in a candid manner despite his voice coming out soft and timid. Travis froze, eyes widening for a moment as he absorbed this statement. "W-what?" He stammered, his full attention still stuck on Larry's face. Finally, Larry met his eyes and hesitated, his voice jumping an octave with nerves. "I don't know man! I just feel all fuzzy and weird around you now and it tells me that I'm obviously liking you as more than a friend and if I keep ignoring it and bottling it up I'm gonna implode on myself." 

Travis's face had turned a deep red at this point, his blush even reaching his ears as he reflexively put a hand over his mouth in thought. He withdrew his hand, pausing to put his words together before responding. "I'd be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind...a few times." He answered honestly, glancing away to fix his eyes on a stain in the rug.

"So...we gonna run it by Sal and see how it goes? Or do we think it's a bad idea?" Larry prompted carefully, his voice coming out so quietly that it was quite jarring for Travis. Trav swallowed thickly, taking a nervous deep breath and smiling. "I'm willing to see where it takes us." Larry returned the smile, hesitantly taking Travis's hand. "Then we talk to Sal about it, together." Travis smiled at him with a mixed look of hope and hesitation.

Several hours later, Ash and Sal came back from their joyride, walking in and dropping onto the couch next to Larry and Travis in a tired heap as they'd gotten carried away with their trail hopping. Larry laughed at them and patted the top of Sal's head sympathetically. "Party too hard?" He joked with a grin. 

Ashley giggled. "Hell yeah man, those squirrels I followed for photos didn't know what hit em- I almost fought a swan, it was awesome!"

They all laughed at that, Travis included. He felt very comfortable with this group of individuals now and when he stopped to think on that fact he would shock himself when he recalled how deeply he used to loathe them for no reason whatsoever. How foolish he was then. Larry cleared his throat. "Unrelated to squirrels and swans but, Sal? I have something between a question and an announcement." 

Sal perked up, cocking his head to the side. "Yeah?"

Larry and Travis exchanged a glance. "We want to date each other." Larry said nervously, biting back a wide grin. Ash made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a squeak, clapping her hands together excitedly. Sal shot up and smiled at them brightly, immediately tugging his prosthetic off. "You WHAT?" he laughed giddily. "Oh my God! If you're asking if I'm okay with it, like...DUH." Sal looked between them, his smile cemented firmly on his face as he did so. "I KNEW something was up with you two. I think I knew before both of you-" he snorted, leaning forward to hug them both with an arm around each of their necks. They returned the hug with sheepish laughs, both of their faces practically glowing red. 

As they withdrew, Larry scratched his neck out of anxious habit. "How'd you see it coming?" 

Sal fixed him with a stare that said 'Really, dude?' and rolled his eyes slightly. "You can pretend you two haven't made googoo eyes for a little over a month but I'm only blind on one side, boys. I have one whole functional eye and lemme tell you I know the pining stare when I see it." Travis and Larry both ducked their heads bashfully at that, laughing at Sal's blunt nature. Ash wiggled in her seat happily, grinning at them uncontrollably. "I am so lucky to have witnessed this exchange holy fuck I picked a good day to be here- this is so sweet." 

After the initial giddy buzz wore off for everyone, they decided Ash would stay the night with them and crash with Sal, and Larry and Travis could take Travis's bed. Ash would have to head back in the morning, but she said fuck it and wanted to spend more time with Sal while she could. Larry and Travis were more than happy to oblige, but found themselves very nervous with the prospect of sharing a bed alone without Sal. They would now have to figure out what they were without Sal as glue holding them together, and it was a little scary. Both of them hadn't ever had relationships before Sal, so it felt so odd to have this change suddenly. 

And yet, the moment they crawled into bed, the tension broke. It started with Larry moving closer to drape an arm over him, but the moment they were face to face in the almost complete darkness, with nothing between them, their lips found each other. They kissed each other cautiously, then longingly, then tenderly, shifting through several phases as they released the tension that had been building up between them. After a while of this, Larry withdrew, biting his lip with a nervous chuckle. "We should sleep, don't wanna get in a rush, right?" Travis nodded, swallowing nervously. "You're right. That's the safe choice."

Larry relaxed into the bed once again, pulling Travis closer gently and burying his face in his shoulder. Travis smiled into the darkness and closed his eyes, shifting closer and listening to Larry's nervous, shallow breaths as they put aside their mutual compulsions for the sake of not jumping into their new relationship too fast. It felt exciting and new, but it was also intimidating, and Larry and Travis are both so different from Sal, neither one was entirely sure how to behave with one another yet. As they laid close and fell asleep, Travis subconsciously moved closer, both arms finding their way around Larry in his sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Larry and Travis break the tension

As several short weeks flew by Travis and Larry began to get a feel for their dynamic, growing more comfortable and affectionate as they gave themselves the time to understand how to act. Despite their patience and caution, they did grow more impatient and restless as time was passing. With each fleeting or lingering kiss they allowed themselves they felt the magnetic pull between them growing stronger and harder to ignore. That's without mentioning how often one of them would accidentally walk in on or overhear one other with Sal, which had already occurred several times and only added to the growing sexual tension. Yet they both stubbornly and nervously danced around each other, Larry felt afraid to rush Travis, Travis just felt afraid in general. 

Sal could clearly see this issue, and decided to offer intervention and see how they would respond to the idea. He sat them down one night in Sal and Larry's room, standing and looking at them with crossed arms as they sat on the bed looking at him like deer caught in headlights as he spoke. "You two are in the right about being cautious and not rushing into things, but what I'm seeing between you two at this point is bordering on repression and I'm concerned. Do you two not know how to approach each other at all? Because if anyone knows how you both tick, it's me." 

They gaped at him, stunned. He huffed. "I'm saying I can help you if you just don't know what you're doing. If not that's fine, you two have every right to go at your own pace, but I'm making sure you're aware that I am not going to beat around the bush and I think you both could benefit from having a basic open discussion about that stuff to make sure you both know what you want and whether or not you're even ready for that." 

They continued to stare for a moment before Larry cleared his throat. "I just, I don't know- I haven't approached anything with him because I'm afraid of coming on strong-" he trailed off, glancing around nervously. Travis piped in meekly. "I don't have the slightest clue how to initiate anything even though I want to-" 

Sal looked between them with a fondly exasperated smile. "So what I'm hearing is, Travis, you want to progress further but don't know how to make that clear or act on it from inexperience, and Larry, you want to progress but haven't because you don't know what Travis is into or if he's ready?" 

They both nodded sheepishly. Sal sighed and shook his head. "That's why we talk about things you silly fucks! C'mon, you two need to discuss this stuff, like, if I need to leave for that I can! But you need to Talk To Each Other." They both laughed softly, knowing he was right. 

Travis bit his lip. "Honestly I think you being here helps in my case, because you're the only person in the world who knows anything at all about how we both are." Larry nodded agreeably, his leg bouncing slightly with mild nerves. "That's a good point, and I mean shit we just made more progress in five minutes with him than we have in weeks by ourselves." 

Sal took a seat between them on the bed's edge, preparing for a candid discussion. "Well then, let's talk." Travis spoke first, fidgeting slightly with his hands. "My main problem is I don't even know what dynamics I fall under or enjoy, because I've only been with one person, and we haven't exactly had a whole lot of time to figure me out yet. Sure I'm learning some of my preferences but, you know…" Sal nodded understandingly, looking at Larry expectantly. Larry cleared his throat yet again, glancing away. "I'm very unsure what to do when I remember that Travis was physically abused for years and some of the things I like may be off limits or triggering and I haven't wanted to even bring it up as a result and was afraid that being too enthusiastic might scare him." Travis's expression softened and he faced Larry with concern. "That's...I-? Thank you for the care, but honestly Larry I think you'd be surprised, I'm still learning what I like but..." he made a nervously suggestive face and laughed under his breath.

Larry didn't know how to respond to that, and he felt his face getting hot. Sal smirked a bit involuntarily, feigning a whisper. "What he's saying is he knows that not all roughness scares him. Trust me, I know." Travis let out a muffled snort and shrugged. "He's not wrong." Sal snickered. "Travis has a little trouble being on the receiving end of some roughness, but he's absolutely a sadist, I learned that pretty quickly once he got comfortable. He's a little masochistic but he can't stand being hit, choked, or slapped in any way, bites, hair pulling, and scratches are completely fine. He's a vers switch just like both of us, but so far in my experience he seems to lean in the direction of brat bottom and sub top, but that's subject to change depending on what he tries in the future- " Travis nodded along with an expression somewhere between embarrassed, amused, and impressed as Sal spoke, finding it funny that Sal had developed categorical knowledge of his preferences so far. "He has a praise kink, do with that what you will, and I know you will." Sal continued with a wink, making Travis choke on a laugh, face flushed as Sal listed off accurate descriptions of his exact preferences without a trace of embarrassment.

Larry absorbed this and his face went from stunned to smug, lifting an eyebrow with a meaningful glance in Travis's direction. "Noted-" 

Sal made a thoughtful face as he recalled more useful information while he was at it. "Like I mentioned, he has a real mean streak, but he's good with aftercare and I already ensured that he understands its importance. He's still getting comfortable with that side of himself anyway, he's afraid to legitimately hurt someone on accident." Travis gestured to Sal with a wistful smile directed at Larry. "What the fuck? He knows me down to the slightest details." Larry laughed. "He does that. He'd make one hell of a criminal profiler." Sal snickered at that and shrugged. "I just observe things closely." 

Sal turned to Travis. "As for Larry, he's a little mean but honestly he's mostly just a tease and not highly sadistic in nature despite his temper and willingness to fight people on a regular basis. He's very soft and mushy despite his appearance, don't let his hardcore schtick fool you. He's a gentle giant, he's just kind of chaotic. He leans dom but despite his size he's not strictly that only." Larry laughed at the accuracy and shrugged. "Yeah, that's one way to put it." Travis nodded, nervous once again as he thought about this knowledge. 

"Larry is very good at respecting boundaries to a fault and he lives to please but also sometimes makes you beg for it til you cry. Brace yourself-" Travis nearly choked again, visibly flustered at the implication. Larry on the other hand, wheezed instantly, burying his face in his hands as his muffled voice spoke. "Sal, what would we do without your shamelessness?" 

"I don't know, but I don't think it would be very fun-" Sal retorted with a nudge to his side. Travis held a hand to his temple for a moment, biting his lip briefly before clearing his throat. "Whew, I am- BEYOND flustered." 

Larry pulled an amused face. "Tell me about it-" he followed this with a flash of a wink, suddenly feeling emboldened by their conversation. Travis's eyes floated over him for a second before pulling away from him nervously. Sal looked between them, read the room, and stood. "With that, I'm leaving you fellas alone for a bit, I'll be at Todd's. Have fuuuun-" he shot them a double finger gun, clicked his tongue at them, and left them sitting stunned and alone with the knowledge they'd been needing.

Larry looked over at Travis and there was something in his eyes that made Travis shudder involuntarily as Larry leaned in close. His eyes lingered on Trav's lips as he spoke in a low voice. "So you've been wanting to but just haven't said so?" He smirked at him and shook his head as he continued, "I guess I can't say much huh, we've both been clamming up for whatever reason." Travis laughed softly, glancing at his lips before leaning in to kiss him. 

This time, there was no hesitation. 

Larry kissed him back with an intensity he hadn't been allowing himself in the beginning, causing Travis to groan with surprise as Larry latched his teeth into his bottom lip for a split second, sending a jolt of excitement through Trav as he tugged Larry closer by fistfuls of his hair. Larry moaned into his lips at the sting and laughed low in his chest at the sudden aggression. That was no shock, he supposed, Travis was a fairly aggressive person in many ways. As Travis pulled him closer by the hair Larry found himself wondering what it would take to pacify him. 

Despite their mutual anticipation and eagerness, they still paced themselves a bit, sticking to wandering hands and deep kisses for several minutes before Larry made a weak sound in his chest and shifted suddenly to set his hands on the outside of Trav's thighs before hiking Travis up by the legs and dumping him onto his back. He looked down at him with a raised brow and leaned down to lock lips with him once again, climbing back onto the bed to kneel between Travis's legs. Trav couldn't help the whimper of excitement that quivered in his chest as he drew Larry closer, throwing his arms around his shoulders. 

Larry pressed their bodies close, moving patiently as he slowly rutted their hips together, causing Travis to moan softly and cling to his shoulders. Larry sucked in a sharp hiss of breath as Travis's nails dragged in the process, trailing his lips away and down Trav's neck. Travis tilted his head to the side with a shaky sigh, hands trembling with fistfuls of Larry's shirt. Trav shivered as Larry spoke against the skin of his neck in a soft voice. "Don't be afraid to tell me if it's too much, all you gotta say is Stop." 

Travis drew in another shaky breath, then laughed quietly. "I appreciate the consideration but frankly I've been wanting this pretty badly so I don't feel the need to stop. I'm nervous, but I'm fine." Larry laughed low in his chest, looking down at him with a smirk. "Excellent. In that case-" He slipped Travis's shirt over his head, then hovered his lips along Travis's clavicle before suddenly biting down on the flesh between his neck and shoulder, enough to make a mark and sting but not break the skin. Travis gasped, his head snapping backward and his back arching as a stunned moan tore from his throat. Larry kissed the bite and hummed in approval. "All good?" Travis huffed. "I'm not delicate. I'll tell you if I have a problem-" he said impatiently, fixing Larry with an expression crossed between a glare and a side-eye.

Larry laughed and shook his head. "Ahh yes, there's the brat Sal was talking about." Travis scoffed, rolling his eyes as he attempted to pull Larry down closer with his arms around his neck. "Less talk, more action, please-" Larry snickered, grasping Trav's arms and pinning them next to his head. "Mmm try again, dick is earned when I'm in charge." 

Travis attempted to glare, but all he managed was a pout. Larry stared down smugly, appreciating the sight of him. "You're gonna have to really convince me, good luck with that attitude, guess I have to teach you some patience." Travis squirmed restlessly, his struggling actually making Larry strain to hold him more than he ever had to with Sal. Larry was suddenly reminded that Travis actually wasn't that much smaller than himself, just less visibly muscular. This would be interesting if Travis decided to fully fight for control, but somehow he was all the more thrilled with the knowledge that this meant Travis was putting on an act, he wasn't actually trying to get control at all. It was part of the game.

"Oh please-" Travis seemed to gain a flash of confidence as he spoke, unfiltered thoughts slipping from him in the heat of the moment. "I can tell just by looking at your face that you're just as excited. Be honest, you're acting tough, but you want it just as bad." he whispered with a low rasp, leaning in with his chin tipped up defiantly. Larry bit his lip, his grip on Trav's wrists faltering for a split second as the goading threw him off.

Larry snickered lowly after he'd recovered from Travis's sudden switch of behavior, grinding their hips together with a renewed vigor, which caused Travis to immediately lose his words and toss his head back with a quiet moan. "That may be true, but it doesn't mean I don't have the self control to fight it, unlike somebody-" Larry teased, leaning close with his lips hovering inches from Travis's. 

Trav chased his lips with a huff as his hips instinctively rotated in sync. Larry leaned away repeatedly with a smirk, causing Trav to pout before Larry caved, kissing him deeply once again. Travis practically melted this time, his body relaxing slightly as a temporary calm washed over him. He pushed down all of his anxiety and swallowed it, refusing to let it stop them. Larry let go of his wrists finally to slide his hands down Travis's sides before grasping his hips. Trav made a quiet sound of anticipation as Larry lifted him slightly and slotted himself between his legs with Travis propped up on his knelt thighs. Travis threw his legs around his waist, panting softly as the other loomed above him with an expression that thrilled Travis yet made his blood run cold. Larry managed to form a mixed expression that was both threatening and arousing at the same time, and Travis wasn't sure exactly why but God damn it was working on him.

Larry sighed as he grinded their hips together at an agonizing pace, eyes floating over Travis slowly. "I'll be honest though, it's all too tempting to give in." Travis hummed in response, flashing a crooked smirk. "Why won't you then?" 

Something about their previous rivalry and dislike for one another was now manifesting itself in the form of this banter, allowing Travis to step into a sort of confidence he had yet to express in himself yet. He was even surprised by himself, but couldn't be bothered to feel embarrassed anymore.

Larry bit his lip again, shifting to slide Trav's pants off so fast his head nearly spun. Travis couldn't help but laugh. "Getting a little more eager, are you?" He received only a scoff from Larry as an answer, Trav wiggled his hips impatiently as Larry returned his lips to Travis's neck and slid his hands slowly up Trav's thighs, pausing just short of his waistband. He trailed kisses down to Trav's chest, leaving small marks in his wake and finding himself oddly pleased to be leaving his own marks next to the ones left by Sal that dotted his dark olive skin. 

Larry tugged Travis's boxers out of the way finally, discarding them to the side before taking a brief moment to take in his full appearance. He paused, breath catching for a second. "Fuck, you're gorgeous-" he exclaimed under his breath, lips brushing against the skin of his abdomen as he made his way down Travis's body with reverent patience. The sudden praise threw Trav mentally off balance and he immediately whimpered quietly in the back of his throat, a shiver running through him. Larry couldn't help but crack a soft smile at this, looking up to catch Trav's expression as his lips dipped ever lower.

Travis let out a weak moan and tossed his head back as Larry wrapped his lips around his member, curling his tongue in a slow, teasing motion. Travis's hands flew to grasp at Larry's hair once again, knuckles clenched tight with restraint. Larry made a soft hum of approval, pinning Travis's hips down with a tight grasp. Trav shook as Larry moved slowly, intently dragging out every motion to the furthest degree possible to get a rise out of him. "F-fuck's sake-" Trav stammered in sexual frustration, tugging Larry's hair impatiently. Larry shot him a warning glare, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance as he nearly gagged. He withdrew and licked his lips, fixing Travis with a stern stare. "Watch it. Consider yourself lucky you're getting this much with how badly you're behaving-" he scolded him with an amused tone before returning to his task with a knowing look cast upward. 

Travis made a weak noise but resigned to it, knowing that if they backtracked and he got even less he'd lose his mind. "P-please, it's not enough-" he whined quietly, his body rebelling as his hips involuntarily sought out more. Larry made a sound somewhere between a moan and a laugh of endearment as he bobbed his head slowly, his eyes flitting back up to observe Travis's expressions with each move. Travis grasped at the sheets to prevent himself from getting another penalty by being too pushy, his body trembling with the effort of remaining still and patient. 

Larry rewarded this compliance by applying pressure with his tongue, eliciting a shrill gasp from Travis at the shock of sensation. Travis bit his lip so hard he could almost break the skin as he clung to the bed desperately to ground himself. His continued good behavior pleased Larry, who rewarded him once again by relaxing his throat to take more of him with a pointed glance upward. Travis choked on a moan and a hand flew to his mouth, muffling the sound out of habit. Larry withdrew, panting slightly as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ah ah- Don't you dare muffle yourself. I want to hear you." He crawled back up Travis's body to loom near his face once again with a smug look as he pulled Travis's hand away from his face. Travis whined at the loss of sensation and at the tone of voice Larry took, allowing his hand to be pulled away. He made a face, shooting Larry a sidelong pout. "F-fine. But why the fuck am I the only one who's naked right now?" He protested, bringing attention to the inequity of the situation. 

Larry scoffed, stifling a laugh and shaking his head. "Well, excuuuuse me, princess." Travis glared. Larry beamed.

"Aw fine, just because you're so cute when you pout-" 

"I do NOT pout!" 

Larry snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure, just like you don't whine-" 

Trav swatted at his chest and Larry laughed, standing briefly to enthusiastically slip out of his clothes before immediately climbing right back between Travis's legs with a determined and playful expression. "Hmmm, so you're SURE you're ready?" He asked with a teasing tone, making Travis roll his eyes. "If you don't get over yourself and fuck me Sal will-" 

Larry gaped at him and laughed with feigned offense. "WOW. How dare you!" He snickered, leaning over to retrieve a condom and lube from his and Sal's nightstand. Travis laughed back at him, his expression softening for a split second as he processed the situation and it fully hit him what was happening. Larry positioned himself between his legs again and kissed him with a sudden jarring tenderness that caught Travis off guard and made him relax almost instantly as Larry slicked his fingers. Trav gasped quietly against his lips as Larry pressed a finger inside of him, a bit surprised by the difference from Sal. He hadn't considered Larry's large hands until that moment, and an unfiltered moan slipped out of him. He drew in a long, shaky breath as he actively relaxed his body, spreading his legs with a needy groan. 

Larry kissed him intently with several pointed flicks of his wrist, causing a startled moan to erupt from Travis as his prostate was struck lightly. "Fuck- please." Travis panted between his words, his hips rocking slowly in tandem. Larry groaned low, tucking his face against Travis's neck. "What's that, Trav?" He teased in a low voice, curling his fingers with a bite to Travis's neck. Travis whined in protest and jerked his hips. "Would you PLEASE hurry up and fuck me?" 

Larry scoffed and bit down once more before answering. "Easy now, that's a bit demanding, don't you think?"

Travis made an indignant sound, his face going sheepish for a moment as he considered his options. Swallow his pride and get what he wants, or keep up his ego and continue to be delayed. 

He turned his eyes to Larry with a pleading expression, quivering with tension. "Please, Larry-" his voice cracked and Larry felt his heart leap out of his chest, breaking his strict demeanor in mere moments. He withdrew his hand and positioned himself, grasping Travis by the thighs before taking his first slow thrust. Travis's hands reached out to cling to Larry wherever they could, settling on dragging him down by the shoulders into a kiss. Larry staggered his thrusts, slowly but exponentially building a pace as Travis's body relaxed around him. He moaned softly against his lips, ducking his head into the crook of his neck. "You're doing so good-" he muttered in an encouraging tone, causing Travis to whimper, his grip tightening and nails dragging down Larry's back. Larry's breath hitched and he snapped his hips in response, eliciting an unhinged moan from Travis. "Oh my god, Lar-" 

Travis grinded his hips up desperately seeking more as Larry sucked several bruises into his neck and kept a consistent and patient pace despite Travis's squirming. Travis panted with each thrust of their hips, moans being torn from him with growing frequency as their speed mutually picked up. Larry rocked into Travis with steady pivots of his hips, shifting his grip to Travis's hips as he used his strength to guide Trav's reciprocal movements, both of them gasping with a growing desperation. Their reckless thrusts and Larry's increasingly rough pace knocked a string of unfiltered noise from Travis as he gasped out a warning, feeling a familiar burning warmth rising in his abdomen. 

Larry only smirked and angled his hips, intently aiming to send Travis reeling over the edge as he drew in close for a long, breathless kiss. Travis cupped his hands to Larry's cheeks and moaned, the sound cut off by a sharp cry as Trav fell suddenly and intensely into climax, his head jerking back. Larry then slowed his pace to ensure he didn't immediately overstimulate Travis, who may be unprepared. Despite his own desperation to come, he couldn't prioritize that over Travis's comfort with the situation. 

As if reading his mind, Travis managed to stammer out a few words in his stupor. "Y-you don't have to stop for my sake yet-" As if to prove his point, Travis drew Larry closer with his legs around him, looking up at him with a completely tranquil expression despite his destroyed appearance. Larry made a weak noise in his chest and buried his face in Travis's neck as he gratefully returned to a faster pace. Travis gasped with every other thrust, but showed no discomfort. He seemed transfixed on Larry, wrapping his arms around him and pressing a kiss to the side of his head as he hid in Trav's neck. Larry's hips stuttered and he choked on a low moan as he finally came, chest heaving slightly with his worked up breaths as he pressed a single shaky kiss to Travis's jaw.

Travis whined quietly as Larry withdrew from within him, his gaze fixated on the ceiling for a moment before turning his eyes to Larry. Larry immediately went into care mode, eyes roaming over Travis to check for any excessive bruises or the like. "How do you feel?" He asked quietly after a moment, gazing down at him with a soft and endeared expression. Trav sighed with a slightly dazed smile. "Like mush." 

Larry couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Here, let me get you cleaned up-"

After a quick rush to clean up any fluid messes and change out the sheets on his and Sal's bed, Larry deposited Trav back on the bed and took a seat next to him, both of them mutually seeming to feel immediately more comfortable with each other after finally giving in to their unacknowledged impulses. Larry smiled sweetly at him for a moment before pressing a quick kiss to his temple. Travis smiled back, in the leftover buzz he couldn't be bothered to keep up his attitude. 

"You did so well-" Larry affirmed, moving in close to hold Trav a while. He wanted to appreciate the moment while it lasted. Trav made a pleased hum and sighed contentedly, turning to nuzzle into Larry's neck. Larry felt his chest fill with warmth and he wrapped his arms around him, pulling him in tight. "I can't believe it took Sal calling us out for that to happen." 

Travis snorted, face still tucked happily against Larry's neck. "I'm not surprised at all, honestly. He's got the brain in this relationship-" 

They shared a quiet laugh as Travis absentmindedly played with Larry's hair, eyes drifting shut for a power nap. Larry couldn't complain, and he laid with him as Travis dozed off to regain his energy. Shortly after the front door was heard open and shut, and Larry heard Sal announce his return. He heard a knock at the bedroom door followed by a pause. "Come in, you're all clear."

Sal poked his head in, prosthetic in hand and a knowing smirk on his face as he took in the situation. "Aww-" he stepped in before pausing with a laugh. "Is he asleep? Jesus dude it's the middle of the day how did you manage to knock him out-"

Larry snickered and shook his head with a shrug. "I don't know, but apparently he needed a nap afterward." Sal gave him a suggestive look and wiggled his eyebrows. "Wore him out, huh?" Larry stifled a laugh, attempting to not wake Travis up yet. "You could say that."


End file.
